The Storm of the Stars
by fanfic authoress
Summary: Anastasia, a twenty-year old psycic, is sought out by a demon named Ciel Phantomhive. He intends to use her powers for his own gain; however, he will find that she can't be easily used. Ciel/OC, CielxOC (After season 2, modern day).
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Bored!" Anastasia yelled, throwing a knife at the door. It hit the door frame and stuck there. Anastasia's day was going normally. That is to say- slow. She was incredibly bored as she resorted to throwing knives for entertainment while sitting in her chair. Nobody had come in yet and it was already close to noon- well past the first crowd of customers she usually gets. She had already finished her new book- Asylum by Madeline Roux- that she had gotten yesterday and now she had nothing to do.

With a sudden spurt of energy, she got up out of the chair and walked to the window, her long, dark blue skirt swishing behind her. Looking back and forth down the street, she groaned and sagged. _Nothing!_\- nobody was out walking. _God_, she was so bored. She would kill for some entertainment. Why didn't she have a TV in here? That's a completely worthy investment.

Anastasia walked back to her seat, sitting down and swinging her legs over the arm of the chair. She let her head drop back, unsupported by anything. It was a Monday, so nobody wanted to have their fortune told. And on top of that it was _raining_. She scowled to herself. _Stupid weather... stupid people... stupid England... _Anastasia usually loved the London weather, but now it just seemed to add to her foul temper.

Anastasia ran a small fortune telling business. It was in a dilapidated building on one of the side streets of London. It wasn't perfect, but it was cheap- which was mainly the reason why she'd bought it. There- for a small fee, of course- she would tell someone's future or look into their past. Hers was one of the more popular ones because of how successful she was. Anastasia didn't use tricks or illusions- she could actually do everything she claimed.

Anastasia didn't know how she had gotten her gift- or _curse_ as she'd often thought. It had become apparent from a very early age. It started out as she'd say something- perhaps about the weather- and it would later come true. Later in her childhood, her parents would test her by telling them what they were thinking. This gift had set her apart from everyone else, something she resented when she was little.

Suddenly, the bell rang that signaled someone entering the small building. Her head snapped up and she immediately jumped out of her chair, looking into the parlor where costumers would wait. Someone was here! _Thank _God_, I was about to die from boredom._

It was a young man, who looked to be about her age at about twenty. He had his back to her, leisurely gazing at the paintings she had in the hall. He was pale- paler than one usually saw on a living human being. Nothing at all like her own olive colored skin tone. He was dressed fancily in a navy suit and a top hat. He had navy blue hair. _Rather odd shade of hair,_ she mused to herself. Perhaps he dyed it…

Shaking her head as if to dispose of her thoughts, she opened the door dividing the small waiting area from the rest of the building.

"How can I help you Mr...?" Anastasia asked. He turned around, showing that one of his royal blue eyes was covered with an eye patch.

"Phantomhive, Ciel Phantomhive," he said with just a touch of arrogance laced in his tone, which confirmed her suspicions that he was a British noble. No ordinary person spoke that way if they didn't want to get beat up in an alley.

"What can I do for you today?" Anastasia asked with a polite smile. The smile felt false on her lips. But it wasn't every day that a British noble walked into her business- she _did _want to make at least a partially good impression. _Perhaps he will tip well…_ One could hope, at least. However, Anastasia has had some nasty incidents with rich people. For people with so much money, they tipped horrendously.

He sauntered leisurely towards her and she immediately tensed. He had an _aura_ of arrogance that surrounded him like a second skin. Her fingers twitched, resisting the urge to punch him square in the face.

"I have heard from many... colleagues, about your _wondrous _gift." Anastasia immediately bristled, his tone made it clear that he doubted her. "And I wanted to see it for myself." He stopped a couple paces from her- invading her personal space- and smirked at her in a way that made her wary. She tried to shrug it off as nothing, there was no reason as to why she should feel this way about someone she had just met. But still, she was filled with uneasiness- quite like she expected the kind felt by prey when stalked by predators.

"I'm sure I'll fulfill your expectations," she retorted boldly, straightening up as if to make up for their difference in height. He was _several_ inches taller than her even though she was wearing high heeled boots.

"Of course," he said smoothly, gesturing for them to go on with it. Stalking into the fortune telling room, she snapped the blood red curtains shut, in an act to reclaim lost ground, in a way. The man had rubbed her wrong, and she felt invaded in her territory. _It's time to show him what he's in for._ A slight smirk settled on her lips as the room became dimmer and she spun around. The room was painted a dark purple color that you could hardly see for all the bookshelves lining the walls.

In the center of the room there was a small, round table with two chairs. That is where she would entertain her clients. There was only one light to be found, and that was in the form of a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

Anastasia gestured for him to sit in the wooden chair she typically offered to guests. He obeyed and sat down, all the while keeping a smirk on his face. Just seeing that smirk irritated her, making her want to make him eat his words.

"The past, present, and future are mine to command. I can see the past, hear the present, and predict the future. Which would you like today?" Anastasia asked slowly, still bristling about the jab about her legitimacy.

"Past," he replied with no small amount of arrogance. She raised an eyebrow. Usually her clients wanted to know the future. Usually some what-not about knowing lottery numbers, and rubbish such as that. Why would you want to know that, when you could know when the next world war was coming? (September, 2036, by the way). They would only choose the past if they were testing her, or thought she was a fraud. Her jaw tightened, as she sat down in her chair. There was nothing on the table- no crystal ball for her to gaze into- only fakes used those.

Anastasia laid her arms on the table on the table, her many bracelets jingling on her forearms.

"Lay your hands on the table, palms up," she instructed with a no-nonsense tone in her voice. She was filled with the slight smugness that she was _definitely _going to prove him he's wrong. He obeyed and she raised her arms, but then hesitated.

"Mr. Phantomhive, I will need to touch our foreheads together, are you alright with that?" Anastasia questioned.

"Please call me Ciel. And of course," he replied smoothly.

"Alright then... Ciel." After hesitating another moment she touched Ciel's temples gently and touched their heads together.

Instantly, her senses were flooded with the entirety of his past and her smugness drained away like water in a bath. She jerked and shuddered as an entire life that wasn't her own flashed before her eyes.

_Happy...Noble... parents...killed...cult...sacrifice..alone..so alone... _She grimaced, such a sad, grim past. Most of the images went by too fast to be seen- she would absorb them and store them for later. But one word stood out from the rest, not so much as a word, but more of a dark feeling accompanied by shadows... _Demon._

She jerked back, and knocked over her chair in her haste to get as far away from him as possible. Her back hit the wall- hard- as she tried desperately to escape. Her green eyes were wide, pupils dilated in fear and she had an expression of pure terror on her face. She hastily made s three fingered gesture, long meant for warding off evil.

Ciel smirked in his annoying way, as if he was pleased with this outcome. Her breath was coming out in sharp gasps, as she inched her way towards the door, never breaking eye contact. She was too afraid to even blink, for fear that she would miss a sudden movement coming from him. He slowly rose from his chair, the legs scraping harshly against the wooden floor, and made his way towards her. He looked unnatural in the room, somehow supernatural-looking- too flawless to possibly even pretend to be real.

Giving up, she turned and ran toward the door. Before Anastasia had even gotten three paces, she felt him grip her by her hair. He slammed her roughly against the wall, and pinned her arms to her sides. She struggled briefly, before giving up due to how strong he was. It was like fighting a brick wall. Her legs were trembling and soon they gave out, but she didn't fall thanks to his inhuman-like strength.

She turned her head to the side in fear as if she couldn't see it, it would magically go away. She was shaking in fear, her pulse racing, and emotions overruled by terror. A single tear slipped out from under her closed eyelid.

"Now, now," Ciel chided with a tone of utter amusement, "Don't cry." Anastasia took a shuddering breath, and reluctantly turned to face him.

"What do you want from me?" Anastasia begged, tears pricking her eyes, "Anything you want, take it! I won't stop you!" What did this monster want with her? She didn't exactly have a lot of money, or anything valuable. All she did was go about her life, using her abilities to make money off of tourists- how was that a bad thing?

"I was merely curious as to how a mere _mortal_ could have such powers." Ciel tilted his head, and looked at her cryptically.

"I'm nothing special. Just leave this place!" She was desperate. He responded by tightening his grip on her arms, making her wince. She would definitely have bruises tomorrow- if she even had a tomorrow.

He bent down to whisper in her ear, "Don't lie to me, my dear, you _are_ something special. A mortal with the power of a god? Think of all the ways you could be _used_." Anastasia shuddered in response to his words. She turned her head, suddenly nauseous, like she was going to throw up.

"I'll never help you," Anastasia spat, turning back to face him. She didn't know exactly what he had meant by that; but anything a demon could want couldn't be good. Confusion and fear were the only things she could feel right now. Ciel straightened up, tilting his head to the side as if examining her.

"Brave words to say to a demon, my dear Anastasia," he said, as his eyes flashed bright fuchsia. Her breathing hitched, but she was transfixed at the sight of his eyes- she couldn't seem to look away from the horrific sight. "But I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice." Ciel hissed the last word, and then released her. Without him supporting her, she crumpled to the ground, like a rag doll, landing on her hands and knees.

He knelt down on one knee in front of her, and lifted her chin with his hand. His eyes sparkled with malevolent amusement, a smirk played on his mouth. "I _would_ say I was sorry, but I would be lying." Ciel wiped away a stray tear on her cheek with his thumb and she closed her eyes in fear. But the killing blow didn't come... instead she felt his lips on hers.

Anastasia's eyes flew open in shock and she froze. Then as fast as it had happened, it stopped. Ciel grinned at her expression of astonishment, before getting up and tossing something into the tray where her clients put their money.

"I will see you again, Anastasia. You can't escape me." He adjusted his top hat with a smirk and left, slamming the door behind him.

Anastasia's eyes were open in shock. She couldn't believe anything that just happened. She only summoned up enough energy to slam the sign on her window from 'Open' to 'Closed'. As she walked to the table, she saw that the thing he had tossed had been a huge stack of twenty pound notes along with an envelope. Shakily, she opened it to find a note.

_I wait until we meet again, Anastasia._

_-Ciel_

Her hands shook as she read the note in horror. Finally, she couldn't contain it anymore. All that had occurred caught up to her in that moment and she began to cry in earnest. She fell to the ground sat there with her face in her hands, weeping. The only thing she could remember thinking was _Why... Why?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~(A/N)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi! I've been hoarding this on my laptop for a while, and I thought I might post it. I don't know if I'll continue it, but tell me what you think! I already have like half the second chapter, but I may not work on it. As some of you may know, I already have another fic, Nevermore, and it will take priority. This is just a fun thing that I did on the side. Anyway, I hope you like it!

Please review if you can, I'd really like it!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

As days went by Anastasia began to worry a little less about the demon man she'd met. He- she figured- wouldn't come to her again. He probably just wanted to see if she actually had any of the powers she claimed. But even though she told herself this, she didn't fully believe it.

This is what she was thinking about as she got dressed in front of the mirror in her bedroom. She gazed at herself with a critical eye. She was wearing a long, dark purple skirt today, along with a leather half corset, and an off-the-shoulder top. She left her curly, brown hair down and it just brushed her waist. She wore her customary jewelry- a golden diadem and loads of bracelets.

Anastasia was still worried over the amount of money the demon had left her. It had been over eight hundred pounds. She still didn't know whether or not to use the tip- if it actually _was_ a tip, and not payment for... something that she'd rather not think about. Not knowing, she decided to just hide it in the floorboards of her small flat. She would use it in case of an emergency.

Shaking her thoughts off, she adjusted the diadem, and nodded happily at her reflection. She grabbed her small purse, that was filled with the keys to her flat, her phone, and a pitifully small amount of money if she needed something. Anastasia didn't really need a phone- it wasn't as if she had many friends or family that she talked to often.

Leaving the flat, Anastasia locked the door behind her. The flat was part of a dilapidated old building that she rented from the cheapest man alive. Her flat was falling apart, and was constantly dirty, but it was all she could afford.

As soon as her door closed a voice yelled out from an open door on that level, "Where's my money?" It was Wilson, her landlord. Sighing, Anastasia walked past his door where she could see there was a middle aged man smoking a cigarette in his undershirt.

"I'll get you your money after work!" Anastasia yelled. By that time, she was already going down the stairs two at a time.

"You better, girlie!" Anastasia rolled her eyes at his response, not bothering to give a reply. He was just snippy because his package was late. Again.

When she got outside, she hailed a taxi to take her to work. When she arrived at her building, she got out her keys and opened the door. Anastasia sighed, knowing she needed to dust. She resisted the urge to laugh at such a normal thought. Her life had been turned upside down, and there she was- worrying about cleaning. Scoffing, she tossed her bag on the floor and threw open the curtains.

It was Saturday today, so Anastasia expected a larger crowd than what she got on the week days. So many tourists were willing to have their fortune told, and they _always_ tipped more than Londoners. Londoners had already become tired of the constant parlor tricks that they could see anywhere else in the city.

Anastasia sighed, leaning her forehead against the cool glass of the window. She felt worn out from thinking too much about what had happened on Monday. So very little had ever happened to her, and she had no idea how to react to this. It wasn't as if she could just go to the police- she knew how that would go. Anastasia could almost hear the conversation that would occur. She would be locked up in a mental institution, never to be heard or seen from again.

"You know, you might get more customers if you cleaned up a little. This place is filthy!"

Anastasia whipped around, taking a dagger off of a shelf, and aiming it at the person. The person in question held up their hands in the air.

"Oi! I just wanted to visit! Don't kill me!" Anastasia lowered the knife, now knowing it was her only friend, Vivianna.

"Good God, Viv! You terrified me out of my wits!" Anastasia exclaimed. She had already been on edge because of Monday, she didn't need any more surprises. Her friend had the decency to look abashed.

"Sorry," Vivianna said, shrugging. Vivianna had long, naturally blond hair that she'd dyed electric blue. It made her icy blue eyes pop on her face. She was smacking her customary stick of icy, mint gum. Anastasia had literally never seen her without her chewing gum. Anastasia rolled her eyes, carelessly tossing the knife to the floor.

"What do you want?" Anastasia asked heavily. Vivianna looked shocked.

"You mean I have to have an excuse to visit my dearest friend?" Vivianna exclaimed. Anastasia responded by merely raising an eyebrow. "Okay, okay," Vivianna sighed, "I wanted to see if you would go out shopping with me!" She was practically bouncing with excitement. Anastasia sighed, rubbing her temples at her friend.

"You know I can't go shopping," she said wearily, "I have to open up the shop." Vivianna pouted slightly.

"Come on! You can take one day off!"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please with cinnamon sugar on top?" Vivianna begged, widening her eyes for special effect. Anastasia hesitated, think of the money under her floorboards.

"You won't be gone long, you'll be back for the afternoon crowd," Vivianna wheedled. Anastasia sighed.

"Alright, alright, I'll go." Vivianna cheered, but Anastasia held up a finger. "But you have to promise that I'll be back before noon.

"Cross my heart, hope to die," Vivianna promised, crossing her heart with her hand. Anastasia nodded, satisfied. Anastasia picked up her bag from off the floor, and put the knife back where it was supposed to go. The only reason why she _had_ knives hidden around the room was because A. Guns are expensive, and she would have to get a license and all that. And B.- She lived in _London_.

"Alright, let's go." Vivianna grinned and promptly took hold of her arm and dragged her out the door.

"This new boutique kind of place opened a couple of days ago, and I haven't had the chance to go in yet. Apparently it has a lot of cool stuff- kind of goth. Though everyone I've talked to said that they found a lot of cool stuff for Halloween." Anastasia tuned out her friends chatter unconsciously , and began looking up and down the street.

Vivianna had been born into quite a bit of money, and she could get everything that she wanted. They seemed like an unlikely choice for best friends; one rich as the queen of England, and the other poor as a mouse. But Vivianna had always been obsessed with the macabre and the supernatural, so meeting Anastasia was like a dream come true for her. Once she had found out about Anastasia's abilities, she came to her demanding to be shown them. They'd been friends ever since.

"Here it is!" Vivianna chirped, standing in front of a black building. Anastasia blinked once. Twice. Three times.

The building had an open coffin on the outside, and a fake skeleton lying inside it. At least, she hoped it was fake. If it wasn't... Well, then they may want to run. _Far_ away. The building was completely black, and had the word 'Undertaker', on the front. It would have looked quite menacing if there weren't people milling about it with colorful shopping bags, talking to their friends. That was the only thing that gave Anastasia enough courage to actually walk up to the front step.

Vivianna bounded up to the door in excitement and Anastasia reluctantly followed behind. While Vivianna immediately burst through the door and started looking at everything in sight, Anastasia walked in slower. It was no surprise to find that the inside was not much different from the outside. The inside was dark as well, but instead of black, it was a dark grey. It was decorated differently than any other department store that she'd ever seen.

For one, there were coffins everywhere. And she meant _everywhere_. Some of the clothes were stacked on them, instead of tables. There were also candles everywhere; from sconces, on top of bookshelves, anywhere there was a flat surface. However, it actually smelled rather nice. Anastasia cautiously sniffed the candle next to her and found it to be pumpkin spice.

"Hmm," she hummed, nonsensically. Maybe this place wasn't _so_ bad. She let her eyes wander around the store. There were mainly girls ranging from ages thirteen to mid-twenties in the store, and even a few males. As expected, most of the clothes were black, though there were some strange pieces. There was one, black, lacy piece near her that didn't seem to have any kind of function. And if it did, she didn't want to know what it was.

As Anastasia was browsing the clothing selection, a strange voice came from behind her.

"Looking for something, dearie?" She immediately spun around, her hand instinctively going to where her knife was hidden. For protection, of course- why else would she have it? That fact that it made her feel really cool _definitely_ had no affect on her. She was especially on edge since Monday, jumping at every little noise. Even after almost a week, she was still as wary as she had been that day.

"Not particularly," she answered, eying him warily. He didn't appear to be _that_ dangerous. _Famous last words._ The man had long, silver hair, that had a small braid in it. He was wearing a strange ensemble- and that was coming from her of all people- of a black overcoat and black leather pants. His thick fringe hid his eyes from view, and Anastasia wondered how he could even see out of it.

The man grinned widely, as he had just noticed something. Leaning in closer, he tilted her head back with her hand, as if to get another look. She immediately froze. _What was he doing...?_ After another moment of examining her, he released her.

"You should probably want to come with me, dearie," the strange man said, turning around and walking across the store, behind a black curtain. She was torn; should she go? There was a very high chance that she could be killed... Oh well, curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back. Sighing to herself, she hurriedly followed after the strange man.

When she parted the black curtain, she found herself in a long hallway, lit with sconces. She barely spared a moment to realize that the scones had real candles in them. _Well, that is a fire hazard..._

"Who are you?" Anastasia asked, slightly out of breath after jogging after him. His gait was surprisingly long, and she had to run to keep up with him. He abruptly stopped in his tracks at her question, and she barely managed to keep from crashing into him.

"I'm the Undertaker, and you are?" The Undertaker asked, grinning widely. Anastasia was bewildered, what kind of name was Undertaker?

"Anastasia," she answered, "Anastasia Blackwell." This man may be strange- to say the least- but she at least tried to be polite. The Undertaker grinned at her again.

"Wonderful to meet you, Anastasia Blackwell," he greeted, "You're in danger." With that, he turned back around and kept walking. But Anastasia stopped in her tracks. _What did he mean...? Does he know about Ciel?_ With those thoughts in her head, she blinked, and then caught up to the Undertaker.

"Wait! What do you mean?" She demanded from behind the Undertaker. She could hear him chuckle lowly.

"All in good time, dearie," he answered in an annoyingly, sing-song voice. She huffed at his answer and the apparently permanent nickname that she'd been given.

"I _will_ kill you!" She was growing frustrated, and the Undertaker turned at that.

"Dearie, if you could manage that, then I deserve to die," the Undertaker said laughingly. Her eyes widened at that. She had said the (false!) threat, mainly out of frustration, and anxiety. Plus, she was used to making threats and never intending on following through. But at his reaction, she realized how easy it would be for him to kill her now. Still grinning, he turned around.

After another few moments, they reached a solid, black, oak door. Not pausing a moment, the Undertaker opened the door, and walked straight in. Hesitating for a moment, Anastasia reluctantly followed him- mainly out of curiosity. After all, she was wondering why he even brought her here.

"What are we doing here?" Anastasia asked, voicing her concerns. The Undertaker ignored her briefly, choosing to open and consult a large tome near him. After a moment, he snapped the book shut and looked back at her, grinning.

"_We_ are doing nothing, I just needed to take a peek at this book, dearie," the Undertaker answered enigmatically. Anastasia fought the urge to roll her eyes at this over-grown child. Though she had more patience than most people, this man was grating on her nerves.

"Then why did you bring me down here, then?" Anastasia snapped, bringing her hands up to place on her hips. The Undertaker grinned widely at her.

"Why, I didn't bring you down here~ You followed me…~" The Undertaker grinned. Anastasia scowled at him, fed up with him.

"Ugh!" Anastasia groaned, exasperated. She spun around, about to leave. One side of the Undertaker's mouth lifted into a half-smile. Lazily sitting down in a chair, the Undertaker placed his arms on the table and looked up at her, grinning.

"I wouldn't do that, I may be able to help you with your little problem..." Anastasia stopped in her tracks.

"Whatever do you mean?" Anastasia asked, swallowing thickly.

"After all, it isn't wise to get involved with _demons_," the Undertaker continued. Anastasia spun around to face him, at that.

"What do you know about that?" She demanded, her eyes locked with the Undertaker's. Or at least, where she thought his eyes were. She couldn't see them, since they were hidden behind his thick fringe.

"I know that the little lord seemed _awfully_ interested in you~" The Undertaker answered. Anastasia's eyes widened. The demon _had_ looked like an aristocrat to her...

"But why?" Her voice broke slightly as she asked the question, and she cleared her throat. "Why is he interested in me?" The Undertaker tilted his head lazily.

"I think you know the answer to that." Anastasia looked down at the floor. Surely there were others like her? Why couldn't the damn demon just go to one of them? _Oh God... I sound awful..._ But it was true, if given the chance, she would want him to go after another. _But..._ Her eyes lowered even further, _no one deserves that. _

"Can you help me?" Anastasia asked stiffly. She wouldn't beg, and she doubted this man would help her even if she did. The Undertaker's smile faltered a little.

"I'm afraid not. But know this, no major harm will come to you." Her head snapped up at that, and she looked at him incredulously.

"How the _hell_ do you think that no harm will come to me?" She asked incredulously. What part of 'demon' did he not understand? He smiled enigmatically at her, and didn't deign to answer.

"But know this," the Undertaker said, his voice suddenly serious, "Demons are strange creatures- especially the house of Phantomhive- but there is always something in them, that even they can't see at times." By now Anastasia was extremely confused, what did he even mean? Before she could ask him, he was ushering her out of the room. Before she knew what was happening, she was back in the store, looking at a black curtain.

Out of instinct, she reached her hand out to move it, to see if it had been a hallucination or not. Her fingers just brushed the black fabric when-

"Anastasia!" Vivianna called. She spun on her heel to face her friend, who was holding up a black lace dress. Vivianna frowned at the look on her friend's face. "Are you okay?" Anastasia shook her head, before looking at Vivianna, and grinning.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Anastasia reassured with a smile, "Do you want to keep shopping?" Smiling eagerly, Vivianna nodded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(A/N)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello people reading this! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, I actually like writing this. News: I'm getting a Mac during Christmas Break! (One thing, you may not know, but I have the shittiest computer in the world. It's worse than the school computers. That's saying something.) Anyway, hurray for that- and Christmas! Candy &amp; presents! I've also been watching all the X-men movies, so that's been fun. Why is it that I always cry during a Marvel movie? Seriously, is it just me?

Reviews:

Foreveradreamerinlife: I'm glad that you like it, I hope you liked this chapter too!

Awesomealixe: I'm really glad you like it! I'm glad that you like Anastasia (She's basically the opposite of me, but I still like her).

Naiko20: I'm glad you like it, and I will most likely keep writing in this fic. (Until I get bored...)

Esmereilda: I'm glad that you like this fic, and it will be a lot different from Nevermore (Though there will be some similarities, like them both being psychics.) Plus Ciel will be a lot darker in this fic, while he's at least semi-nice most of the time in Nevermore. I hope you continue reading &amp; reviewing!

YinxShroudForever: It makes me happy that you liked it!

Grandprincessanastasiaromanov5: I'm glad you like it! (Plus I love your username!)

Darkshadow400: I hope you liked the chapter! ;)

Review please


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It was a Tuesday again, and the day was going slowly. _As per usual..._ But, since Summer was starting up, more tourists were coming to London, which meant more money for her. Anastasia wasn't a particularly greedy person- or at least, she tried not to think so- but you would have to be stupid to turn down extra money.

But even though more people were in London, that didn't mean that many were willing to spend their time and money on a fortune teller in a dilapidated, old shop. Tourists were too busy going to restaurants, taking selfies next to Big Ben, and climbing random statues- to do anything actually worthwhile. Okay, maybe Anastasia was a bit biased- but still! It was the least they could do, spend some of their money supporting hard-working psychics like her! As you can probably tell, Anastasia was in a bit of a mood.

She had been sitting in her store for four hours, and no one had even _glanced_ inside. It was like she was invisible, or something! It was getting ridiculous. She had already read one of the new books that she'd gotten, Of Monsters and Madness, which was a surprisingly good book.

Restlessly getting up from her chair, again, she paced around the perimeter of the room. It was a good size, large enough for her to fit most of her nonfiction books in it. Most of Anastasia's money went towards books, disregarding her need for food or most staple items. They were the reason why she never had any money, and was emotionally unstable. Books were her therapy, but they're also the reason why she needs a therapist. That, and being stalked by monsters from hell. Hurray.

As if it could read her thoughts, the bell above the door rang, announcing someone entering the building. Anastasia's head snapped quickly, immediately looking towards the 'waiting room'. There was a man there with black hair, and a rather stoic expression on his face, waiting inside. His gold eyes, covered in a pair of glasses, were the only thing that betrayed his thoughts. They made Anastasia uneasy for no apparent reason other than they made her feel queasy.

Pushing the thought aside, she forced a smile on her face, and walked into the doorway to the waiting room. His golden eyes immediately fell upon her, and she had to force herself not to shiver. He was rather attractive in a strange way, but there was just something about him… She didn't like him.

"How may I help you today, Mr...?" Anastasia asked, in her usual greeting. The man barely reacted, as if she wasn't even there. If it were not for his eyes, she probably would have been rude to him. But something in that gaze made her want to run.

"Claude Faustus," he answered. His voice didn't fit his expression, but was more silky- but not in a good way. It fluttered over her skin, making her shudder, and his voice felt like nails on a chalkboard to her. His mere voice just felt _wrong_ for reasons that she could not comprehend.

"Is there anything that you would like today?" Anastasia asked politely, despite his very presence.

"Yes actually," he said, giving a smile. The mere action looked unnatural on his face. "I was wondering if you had anything on demons?" He took a step closer and _preened_ like a bird. Anastasia swallowed. He seemed familiar, but she didn't know how.

"I'm afraid I don't do those types of things. I predict the future, not brew potions or work spells," she said stiffly. "Now, if you excuse me." Anastasia moved to close the door, but when she blinked he was in front of her, forcibly holding the door open. He was so close to her that they were almost touching.

"You must have misunderstood me," he said, his voice sounding calm, while his face portraying his amusement at her expense.

Backing away hastily into her main room, she brushed her hand against the hidden knife in her skirt. _Thank you past me, for thinking to hide weapons in my clothing,_ Anastasia thought to herself. The man smirked at her- showing by far the most emotion so far- and sauntered toward her with every backward step she took.

Gripping the knife behind her back, she threw it with deadly accuracy towards her attacker. Without even blinking, the man caught it between two fingers, confirming her belief of his nature. Darting her eyes back and forth, Anastasia looked desperately for something to throw at him. _Candlestick._ She reached out an arm to grab it.

"Now, now," Claude tutted, "I merely wanted to have a word with you." he twirled the knife in between his fingers, and Anastasia's back hit the wall. Desperately, she reached toward the vase to her left. Before she could get within inches of the thing, her throwing knife embedded itself right in front of her nose.

Anastasia froze, her eyes wide, and she could almost feel them popping out of her skull. She breathed heavily through her nose while not daring to move an inch. Claude tutted in disapproval, and she could see him on the edge of her peripheral vision. She didn't dare move her head to see him fully, she doubted she could if she tried anyway.

Claude stepped forward, turning her head easily with his forefinger. Green eyes, pupils dilated in fear, met gold.

"Your more perceptive than I had thought..." He commented idly, tilting her head, to expose more of her neck. _You weren't exactly subtle,_ she thought without saying it aloud. He leaned closer, and Anastasia started hyperventilating. _What is he going to do!? _Her thoughts spun wildly, and without thinking, she pulled the knife out of the wall, and stabbed it in his hand.

Claude hissed- the sound like a feral cat- and picked her up by her neck, and slamming her against the wall. His white glove was stained a color a shade darker than crimson. Anastasia gasped for breath, his hand tightening around her.

"It did not have to be this way," he reprimanded, his eyes glowing fuchsia, "You could have simply come with me, and we wouldn't have had to deal with all of this." _What is he saying? _Anastasia began to feel lightheaded, until she could no longer understand the insanity-coated words coming out of his mouth. The last of the air in her lungs went stale. Suddenly, a strange look came over Claude's face.

Abruptly, he released her, and she fell to the floor, clutching at her throat. Claude was staring out the window, seemingly lost in thought. The light reflected off his glasses, causing a glare so she couldn't see his eyes.

"Ciel…" He breathed, before smirking down at her, "So I'm not the first to see you." She didn't look up at him, preoccupied with getting enough air in her lungs. She supported herself with one hand, panting. "And here I was thinking I was special," he sighed from above her.

Claude bent down, kneeling so he was in front of Anastasia. Lifting her chin, she was forced to look him in the eye.

"I will be back, remember that," he commanded forcefully. She shuddered at his words, but couldn't find it in her to do anything else. Claude stood up, brushing his pants off. Pulling off the blood stained glove, he replaced it with one from his pocket. Despite the situation, Anastasia found that slightly funny. Did he just go around, carrying a bunch of spare gloves in his pocket?

Anastasia wasn't sure how much time had passed, but by the time she looked up again, he was gone. She shuddered out of nowhere. Why was this happening to her? It was one thing to have _a_ demon after her. Admittedly, not a good thing, but better than two. But why were two demons after her? She couldn't possibly be that 'different'. There had to be lots of others like her; why was she the only one being targeted?

When she finally summoned up enough energy, she stood up, her knees aching from being on the ground for too long. Quickly switching the sign around to 'closed', she drew the curtains closed. Sinking to her knees in the corner, Anastasia laid down in a tight ball, trying to hide from the world, at least for a little while.

After about a few hours of aimlessly staring into space, Anastasia shakily got to her feet. There was no point staying here any longer. Plus, it was late afternoon- around six o'clock- and she didn't want to walk home when it was dark. Quickly collecting her bag, she took one last glance around the place. It was a mess, but she couldn't find it in her to care at the moment.

Her fear was gone from earlier, and she just felt empty inside. Anastasia shoved everything inside her bag, and walked outside, locking the door behind her. The sun was setting, but if she hurried, she could make it back to her flat. She kept glancing over her shoulder, as if expecting someone to be following her. In her defense, it wasn't that strange of a worry, with all that had happened to her lately. Hurrying past the darkening alleys, she finally made it to her complex.

Sighing with relief, Anastasia went to her floor, and put her key in the lock. Fumbling with the key, she finally got the door open. Slamming the door closed behind her, she stood in her flat. Silence greeted her. Taking a deep breath, she slid her purse off of her arm, and onto the ground.

Setting her keys down on the counter, Anastasia took out the orange juice out of the fridge and poured a glass for herself. Downing it quickly, she made her way to her room to get undressed.

Her room was dark when she entered it, and she didn't bother to turn on a light. Instead, she entered her adjoining bathroom, and took out her turquoise, hoop earrings that she'd worn that day. Sighing, she set them down on the counter, and proceeded to take off her necklace, and all her bracelets. Anastasia messily put her hair up in a bun- not that it really worked since her hair was hard to control. But either way, it got it out of her way.

Anastasia had rather sharp features. She was different looking, and she knew it. She had clear, darker, olive colored skin. Her facial features were different from anyone else she knew. She had rather prominent cheekbones, and full lips. Her nose was slightly longer than what was considered normal. She definitely didn't fit the 'profile' of what was beautiful, but she supposed she was pretty in her own way.

Splashing water on her face, she scrubbed off all the makeup that she was forced to wear for work. If it were up to her, she would never wear that much makeup. She hated the feeling on her face, and she was generally too lazy to want to do it. Walking out of the bathroom, she reentered the dark room.

"You look much better as yourself, and not playing the soothsayer," a smooth voice drawled, from behind her. Anastasia whipped around to see Ciel sitting in the corner of her room.

Backing away, her eyes wide, she whipped around to face the door. Almost instantly, the door slammed shut before she'd even touched it. Her heart jumped to her throat. Warily, she turned back around to face Ciel.

"What do you want?" Anastasia asked wearily. She has had _far_ too much today. Ciel smirked.

"You sound so happy to see me," Ciel said sarcastically. He stood up, still smirking. Anastasia took a step backwards, not wanting to be any closer to the demon than she had to.

"Are people usually happy to see you?" Anastasia asked, his voice full of snark. Ciel didn't deign to answer her question.

"I did say I would be back after all." A headache was throbbing throughout Anastasia's head by now. Why did he have to do this today of all days? Why was the universe plotting against her? What did she do to deserve this?

"Get away from me," she said stiffly. She was exhausted, both mentally and physically, and she did _not_ want to deal with this. Ciel arched an eyebrow, before flicking a finger. As if being held by invisible bonds, Anastasia found herself leaning against the wall, unable to move. Smirking, Ciel made his way towards her.

"You seem to be under the mistaken impression that I obey you," Ciel warned, the underlying threat clear in his voice. Because of whatever he had done to her, Anastasia found herself unable to even answer, or retort. She settled for merely glaring at him, her eyes being the only things that she could move freely.

After another moment of Anastasia glaring at him, he sighed, releasing her with a click of his fingers. She gasped almost immediately, her body flooded with relief at being able to move again. Even though whatever he had done to her hadn't affected her breathing, she still felt oxygen-deprived.

"What do you want with me?" Anastasia begged, fear creeping in her voice for the first time. She was just so tired...

"Want?" Ciel inquired, arching an eyebrow, "I don't want you for anything in particular. But I do believe that you'd be useful to have around..." Anastasia shuddered at his words, and shuddered even more when he reached up to touch her cheek.

"But why me?" She whispered, almost too quiet to be heard.

"Pardon?" Ciel asked, tilting his head slightly to the side.

"But why me," Anastasia repeated, slightly louder. He glanced at her, with a faint smirk on his face.

"Why not you," he answered, condescendingly, "Would you prefer it was someone else; someone you didn't know- didn't have any relation to?" Anastasia bit her lip. She did, she admitted it. "Would you?" Ciel demanded.

"Yes!" Anastasia snapped, staring him boldly in the eye. "I don't want to be involved in this!" Ciel arched an eyebrow, a cruel smile filling his face. Ashamed, Anastasia lowered her head. Oh God, what was wrong with her? "Please," she whispered, closing her eyes, "Just leave."

She heard a faint chuckle above her, before his hand moved away from her. Several moments of silence passed and she was about to open her eyes.

"Just remember," Ciel whispered into her ear, his breath blowing against the sensitive skin on her neck, "I will be back for you. Soon." Anastasia could sense him moving away, and when she finally gathered the courage to open her eyes, he was gone. Silent as the wind, and almost as hard to catch. She almost regretted not mentioning Claude. _Oh, he probably knows._

Turning on her lamp, the golden light filled the room, illuminating everything. No more monsters hiding in the dark. Not again. Sighing to herself- mostly out of exhaustion- she stripped herself of her skirt and over blouse and fell asleep almost immediately.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(A/N)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi guys, hope you liked the chapter. Sorry I haven't been updating much lately, just haven't been in a huge writing mood. Anyway, hope you liked the chapter, please review if you did, if not- review anyway.

Reviews:

The Billionth Random Monkey: Yeah... You definitely got the book thing right (I love to read!), and I wanted my characters to have powers, and I thought psychic powers were good, since they weren't too powerful. This is actually the fic that Nevermore is based off of, since I actually started this one first- I just never posted it. I hope you liked the chapter, and I will (probably) not leave this unfinished! If I do, you have my permission to slap me.

LinneaFox: Of course I'll check it out, I'm really glad you like this fic!

Killerdawgrox: I'm happy you like it! ;)

Naiko20: I know, I thought- hmm, what would the Undertaker do? Plus he's too fabulous to _not_ run a clothing store. Hope you liked the chapter!

Foreveradreamerinlife: So glad you love it!

Esmereilda: I hope this lived up to your expectations!

Dark shadow400: I'm really glad you liked the fic so far, hope you liked this chapter!

YinxShroudForever: So glad you like it! (I always think I'm better at creating pictures when I'm in third person, as opposed to first.)

Please R&amp;R!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Anastasia slowly awakened, blinking her eyes wearily as she struggled to remember why she was so tired. As she searched her mind, she remembered the events of the previous night. Groaning, she covered her head with a pillow from her bed. Why did demons _have_ to have an obsession with her? There were others like her- she was sure of that- so why her of all people?

"Ugh…" She groaned aloud to her room. Should she go back to the shop today? It _was_ a Wednesday, which meant more people would be about. _And think about how that worked out for me last time… _Yeah… _Maybe I won't go in today._

Getting up, she immediately made her way to her kitchen, dressed only in her pajama shorts and a tank top. She was a rather modest person… but to be honest, she didn't really care about that when going to bed. Then again, did most people?

Immediately grabbing the kettle, she started to boil water. Yes, Anastasia was one of those annoying British people, who was obsessed with tea. She much preferred it over coffee, and could barely function throughout the day if she didn't have it.

Getting out her favorite cup- a blue cup with Van Gogh swirls on it- she poured the boiling water on top of her teabag, before letting it steep for a few minutes. After taking the teabag out, she leaned her forearms on the countertops, drinking her tea. If she wasn't going to open the shop, then what was she going to do? _I could always just roam London, _she mused. It was as good idea as any.

After she finished her tea, she set the cup down in her sink and slunk back to her bedroom.

Her flat was small- even for London- only consisting of a rather small kitchen, a living room, a bedroom, and a very cramped, rundown bathroom. It was old, and the floors creaked when you stepped on them and it made it near impossible to be silent in her flat. Her kitchen was small, only big enough for one person, and had outdated appliances from the eighties. The walls were thin, and she could _clearly_ hear her neighbors (sometimes when she really wished she couldn't). But it was hers, and hers alone. Anastasia was happy with the world she had created for herself. She had started out with nothing, and built a life out of it. It was more than most could hope for.

Closing her door behind her, Anastasia got quickly took a shower, since she hadn't had the chance last night. Letting the hot water run down her body, she dramatically sang along to a Disney song that had been stuck in her head for the past month.

WhenAnastasia finished washing her hair, she turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. Her hair immediately stood on end when it met the rush of cool air waiting to greet her. She shivered in the cool air and wrapped herself in a towel that was on its last legs.

Standing in front of the mirror, she toweled out her hair. For being curly, and thick, it dried surprisingly quickly. Anastasia got dressed as quick as she could into a pair of skinny jeans and a t-shirt since it was warm outside. It wasn't too warm for jeans, a fact that she was forever grateful for. There was no worse feeling that it being really hot, and having to wear jeans. Well, technically speaking, she didn't _have_ to wear jeans, she just hated wearing shorts. It was _basically_ the same thing.

She didn't put all her jewelry on today, but she still wore a pair of simple studs in her ears and her favorite necklace.

Grabbing her purse that held all her earthly possessions (besides books, of course), she walked out the door, running down the flight of stairs. Unfortunately, she wasn't fast enough.

"Girlie!" Wilson shouted. "I want my money!" _Oh shit. _Anastasia groaned, banging her head against the wall. She had forgotten to pay Wilson; and she didn't have any money since _demons_ seem determined to keep stalking her. _Honestly, being involved with the supernatural is very bad for business._ Hearing her groan, her overweight landlord came out of his den, glaring at her with bloodshot eyes. "You'll be out by tonight, if you don't give me my money, now!"

What was she going to do? Anastasia didn't have any money, or not near enough for rent. _Well, I'm fucked. _Wait… Anastasia looked down in her purse, where she had part of the sum that Ciel had left for her. Calculating, she glanced at it, her mind racing. Even a fraction of the money that Ciel had left for her was enough to pay rent. Should she?

Making up her mind, she took enough money to pay for the next two months, and tossed it to Wilson.

"Here," she called. His dog hound eyes were widened with surprise. He knew that she rarely had money, and usually didn't even bother to pay rent on time. Anastasia knew that he was wondering how she acquired the money, and was probably jumping to conclusions, but she couldn't find it in her to care. "There's enough for two months," she added, seeing his greedy expression. He narrowed his eyes at her before sniffing the money- as if to make sure it was real. Though, she didn't doubt his ability to sniff out counterfeit, especially with his close resemblance to a bloodhound.

After 'making sure' it was real, he retreated to his office, no doubt planning to spend the entire day watching crap tele. Anastasia rolled her eyes at the disgusting old man and continued on her way downstairs. When she made it to the street, she hailed a cab, one passing her by before another stopped. One good thing about being a woman in London, is that cabs stopped easier for you. Getting in the cab, Anastasia sat down in the seat.

"Where to, Miss?" The driver asked. She thought about it for a moment, and decided to start near the shop.

"Vigo street, please," Anastasia said politely. Nodding, he started driving, and she put earbuds in, purely so she wouldn't have to participate in any awkward cab conversation. She hated it when people did that- she's just trying to get from one place, to another- why must there be conversation? Generally, Anastasia was a nice person most of the time. She was polite, she had manners. She just hated talking to people that she didn't have to. It seemed unnecessary to her. (She refused to believe that it may have to do with the fact that she was just anti-social).

They soon arrived at her destination and after she paid the cabbie, she got out and started to explore. _There's a book shop nearby,_ she mused. Maybe she should go in… But her gaze was caught by something that distracted her from everything else. A witchcraft shop. Anastasia had heard about these.

Witchcraft shops were shops that specialized in everything supernatural. Not like hers, where she told people's fortunes; but a place that actually sold spells and whatnot. Most of them weren't real, of course, and they just opened for people obsessed with the macabre and the occult. Anastasia had always been at least semi-skeptical about places like this, but with the recent events, she needed help. _Maybe they even sell protection against demons…_ God knows she could use some of that. If any place could help her, it would be this one.

Making up her mind, she stepped inside the shop, a bell announcing her entrance. The sunlight shone down on the dust motes that danced through the air to a silent song. Nobody was at the deserted counter, so Anastasia took a moment to browse the shelves. The shop was stocked with all sorts of strange items. There was one thing that looked like a doll made out of human hair. Shuddering, Anastasia turned away, to look at other things. There were many bottles, filled with indescribable liquids- some murky and some clear as crystal. The bottles were dusty, from never having been moved. Anastasia's gaze was drawn to a particular gold potion, that stood out to her on the shelf. Reaching out her hand, she picked it up.

The bottle was surprisingly warm, as if it had been sitting in the sun for a long time. Though she knew it hadn't, when she picked it up it was sitting in the dark, and the bottle was dusty. Tilting it, she could have sworn that the liquid glittered in the light. As soon as she picked it up, Anastasia was filled with a warm feeling that she hadn't felt since her mother died. But it wasn't entirely warm… It was as if happiness and sadness had combined, and she was feeling the aftermath of the two. It wasn't a particularly _good _feeling; in fact, she couldn't quite describe it. Suddenly, she was filled with the desire to open it. Slowly, she reached up her hand uncork the bottle.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the shopkeeper said from behind her. Startled, she dropped the bottle, it falling out of her grasp before she spun around. Using incredibly fast reflexes, he caught it right before it was about to hit the ground. Anastasia gasped quietly.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized in a hushed tone. She didn't quite know why she was speaking so softly; there was just something about this shop that made her feel like it. The man smiled at her.

The man was much older than her, she estimated his age to be about sixty. There were smile lines around his eyes. His eyes were a light blue, and he had greying, brown hair… He reminded her of her father before he had started drinking. Anastasia's eyes softened as she gazed at him.

"It's quite alright," he reassured, placing the bottle back on the shelf, "I was more worried that you may open it. Angel tears can be a dangerous thing." Her eyes widened. Angel tears? Apparently there was much more to the world than she knew. That is, if it was real. The man straightened up after putting the bottle away, and looked at her kindly. "Is there anything that you need in particular today, young miss?" He asked.

"Ah," Anastasia started, her eyes drifting downwards as she remembered why she came in here in the first place. "I'm in need of… _protection._" The man gave her a curious look, tilting his head to the side.

"Well, we have many protection spells that may help you," the man began. Anastasia shook her head.

"Ah, I'm looking for something a bit… _stronger_," she said nervously. She didn't want to outright say that she was looking for a way to ward off demons, since a couple of them were following her around. No, that would make her sound crazy. _Which, may be true… _The man looked at her confused.

"I'm afraid I can't help you unless you tell me what it is you need protecting from," the man confessed helplessly. Anastasia looked down at the wood floor, shuffling her feet together. After a moment of silence, she looked back up at the man.

"…Uh, Demons…" She whispered. As soon as the word left her mouth, the man stiffened, as if his string had been pulled.

"Wait here," the man commanded, before turning around and going into a room that was hidden behind a curtain. Anastasia stood there in shock. It would have been completely logical for him to think that she was crazy for needing protection against demons- God knows she would've- but that didn't explain his reaction. She pondered on it for another few moments before the man reappeared, holding a small vial filled with a clear liquid.

"Here," he said, handing her the vial. It was a bulb shaped glass vial that was attached to a gold chain so it could be worn as a necklace.

"What is it?" Anastasia asked, holding it up to the light. If she wasn't imagining it, she could almost feel a warmth coming from the bottle.

"Holy water- most deadly to demons," the man said, giving her a soft smile. There was something else in his smile, something almost like pity. Anastasia smiled wryly to herself. A month ago, she wouldn't have considered herself someone to pity, but now she wasn't so sure anymore.

"What does it do?" She asked.

"If you are ever accosted by a demon, just throw it on them," the man said mysteriously. Anastasia tilted her head, what would it do? _Will it hurt them?_ She glanced back at the bottle again. Whichever it was, it didn't matter. Any protection against Claude and Ciel would be worth it, no matter how small.

"How much is it?" Anastasia inquired, finally able to tear her gaze away from the bottle.

"Fifteen pounds," the man answered. Anastasia's eyes widened in shock. Fifteen pounds? For a small vial? _Then again… _She thought, _Any protection, or weapon, is worth it. _Sighing, she counted out the money, and handed it to the man. It wasn't that expensive in the grand scheme of things, but money was precious with her. _This better work…_ As she turned around to leave, purchase in hand, the old man called out to her again.

"Young miss," he started. Anastasia turned around to face him. He seemed to be choosing his words carefully. "I would be careful, if I were you." Anastasia stood in shock for a moment, before smiling sadly at the man.

"The sad thing is," she said, with a bittersweet smile, "I was." Nodding at the man, she turned around and left the store, the bell ringing behind her.

"Ah, young miss," he said, his eyes following the young woman who was walking down the street, "Were you careful enough?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(A/N)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey guys, here's the next chapter! I hope you liked it, I know not a whole lot happened, but I was setting some stuff up. I know, no Ciel; I'm sorry, but he will most likely be in the next chapter. Anyway, hope you liked it, and please don't forget to review!

Reviews:

Darkshadow400: I"m glad you like it &amp; the way I portrayed Ciel! (I like doing the dark side as well)

Awesomealixe: Yay! I'm glad you love this story! (I hope you liked this chapter, and what happened to Anastasia!)

Lhasa Orihara-Sturluson-chan: (I agree on Claude- bad Claude, BAD!) I've always loved it when Ciel is portrayed as really possessive, so that's why I made him this way. (I love him too). I know! I hate it when people leave out the Undertaker!

Esmereilda: It's not that I really enjoy having Claude in my pics (though I do), it's that he makes a good villain, and people already know him. (I also enjoy getting to plan his death in creative ways! I'm not a psychopath…)

YInxShroundForever: I'm glad you like my writing!

Please R&amp;R!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It was another rather pleasant Wednesday afternoon, the sun was out for once and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was also hot as hell. Anastasia wasn't exaggerating- it was awful. London typically wasn't very hot, so when it was even relatively warm outside- all hell broke loose. She honestly felt like she was going to melt.

Anastasia sprawled out in her winged, arm chair, her legs over the arm. Since none of the buildings in London had air conditioning for some god-forsaken reason, she was roasting. Using her hand to fan herself, she could barely concentrate on her book it was so damn hot.

A few people had already come inside in the morning when it was still a decent temperature, but nobody would be coming in now that it felt like Mordor. Honestly, she lived in England, for God's sake, not Australia!

Giving up on her book, she threw onto the floor, it landing with a thump. Anastasia groaned aloud to the room, giving up on doing anything useful what-so-ever. Or not so useful, it didn't really matter to her. Getting up, Anastasia opened the windows, hoping to tempt a cool breeze through her shop. She usually hated opening her windows, since bugs could just fly in whenever they felt like it. And she had a severe phobia of insects of any kind, especially spiders.

When opening her window, she noticed the bookshop across the street, called 'Bookworm Cafe'. It was a favorite of hers, since she could get all the sugar she desired, and buy a crap-load of books. Glancing at her already full shelves, she hesitated. _Do I really need more books…?_ Not really, but she _did_ have more room in her apartment… _Done._

Abruptly slamming the window down, Anastasia grabbed her purse, and practically skipped to the bakery. Food and books, two of her favorite things. _Well, two of pretty much everyone's favorite things… _Everyone who wasn't absolutely stupid.

The cheerful bell rang as she entered the cafe, and Anastasia swung into her usual booth in the corner. There were only a few people in the air-conditioned cafe, since it wasn't a very well-known destination.

Within in seconds of her arriving, a waiter who looked to be about her age walked up to her.

"Hello, my name's Casper, is there anything you would like today?" The male waiter asked. Anastasia smiled quickly at him, before glancing down at the paper menu that was placed on the table.

"Uh, could I please have an apple turnover, and hot chocolate?" Anastasia asked, looking up at the waiter. He grinned at her, before jotting down her order, and rushing off back to the kitchen. Smiling to herself, Anastasia picked her book out of her purse, and began to continue reading.

She was reading a new book called The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling. It was a cute book, and she enjoyed it. It was a mystery series that had four books so far. The premise was that a fifteen-year-old governess- named Penelope- took care of three children who had literally been raised by wolves. It was a good story, and an easy read.

As she was reading her book, the waiter, Casper, came up to her table and dropped off her order. She glanced up at him, and said a quick thank you before turning back to her book- not seeing the flirtatious look he sent her way. Picking up her apple turnover, she began to nibble on it, caught up in her story.

Anastasia must have been reading for at least another hour in the cafe, because once she finished her book her hot chocolate was still half-full, and cold. Taking a sip of her chilled hot chocolate, and grimacing at the taste, she tossed it into the nearest bin. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, the small vial of holy water pressed into her side. Wincing slightly, she shifted in her seat to get rid of the discomfort.

Ever since she had gotten the small vial, she had worn it on her every day. So far, she thankfully hadn't had a reason to use it. She doubted that would last, with all the strange things that were happening.

Sighing, Anastasia took a black notebook out of her purse and a pen, and started to make a list.

_Supernatural Activities_, she scrawled in her notebook, in her usual, shit handwriting.

_1\. Met a demon called 'Ciel Phantomhive', who was curious about my psychic abilities._

_ 2\. Met a man called the Undertaker, who seemed to want to help me. Was extraordinarily useless._

_ 3\. A demon called 'Claude Faustus', who seemed to know Ciel. (Do all demons know each other?)_

_ 4\. Got a bottle of holy water from a man who __didn't_ _call the insane asylum_

Anastasia chewed on her pencil, unable to think of anything else. She didn't consider herself to have an extremely exciting life, besides having psychic abilities and making money off of it. Anastasia had a relatively normal life where nothing ever happened. She used to think that was a bad thing, but now she was rethinking that mindset.

"Is there anything else I can get you?" Casper asked from behind her. Anastasia quickly slammed her notebook shut, and turned to face him, plastering a fake smile to her face.

"Um, yes please, actually," Anastasia answered politely, "Could I have another hot chocolate?" Casper nodded, and this time she noticed the flirtatious smile he sent her way. Her cheeks flushing pink, she looked down at her notebook and pretended to scribble something in the margins.

Anastasia breathed a sigh of relief once he was gone, thankfully. To be fair, she was never really 'flirted' with much, but when she was she didn't know how to react. She usually just blushed and muttered something incomprehensible before leaving immediately.

After a few more minutes of pretending to write in her notebook- but was really just staring blankly at the pages- her hot chocolate arrived. Anastasia glanced up nervously at Casper before quickly taking her hot chocolate from him. Feeling awkward, she took a quick sip, burning the tip of her tongue.

"You know," Casper said, leaning over her, "You don't meet that many cute girls, here." Anastasia froze, distracted by the leer on his face. What the hell do you do in these situations? Anastasia wasn't experienced in this, what was she supposed to do?

"Uhhhh…" Anastasia said, her mind whirring at a thousand miles per hour. "Sorry, I have a boyfriend!" She blurted out. As soon as the sentence left her mouth, she fought the urge to hit herself. Could she have been a normal human being, and just stated that she wasn't interested? No, because she is a train wreck of awkwardness and she didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. _Why did God make me like this?_ Casper didn't seem to believe her at first. He backed up a bit- which she was thankful for- and gave her a disbelieving stare.

"Really," he asked, unbelieving, "What's his name?" Anastasia froze. Shit, what was his name?

"Ciel Phantomhive," she blurted out, saying the name that been going round and round in her head the last few , she upgraded from wanting to slap herself, to wanting to hit herself in the face with a brick. _Why on earth did I say that? Am I _actually _an idiot?_

Even though that she now hated herself, Casper backed off and apologized for his advances. Feeling her stress levels lowering, Anastasia promptly hit herself in the head with her book, once Casper was out of sight.

"Am I a moron?" She groaned to herself, flushing from head to foot. Apparently she was. Not wanting to spend another moment in that cafe, she quickly finished her hot chocolate. Swinging her purse onto her arm, she stood up from her seat. When she glanced out the window, she was greeted with a startling surprise. She must have been in the cafe longer than she had thought, because it was nightfall. Nervous, Anastasia hesitated near the door before going outside. She always tried to avoid going out in London when it was dark, purely because she didn't fancy the idea of being murdered. After all, she lived in _London_, the home of Jack the Ripper. And there were plenty modern ones that went after young women walking alone at night. Not the smartest move on her part.

Anastasia glanced down the street before hurriedly crossing it. In the night, the lengthening shadows were playing tricks on her eyes. During the night, every trash bin was transformed into a monster, and every abandoned box on the side of the rode was a demon. But they probably were demons, if her the past month was anything to go by.

As she was walking down the street, she walked past a group of several boys. When she passed them, she did her best to keep her head down and to not make eye contact- not that it worked.

"Hey," one of them called, "Sexy lady!" Anastasia kept walking with her head down, not acknowledging them in any way. One of the others in the group wolf-whistled at her, and she bristled. She was filled with seething rage, but knew better than to provoke a -most likely high- teenager on a dark night.

"Hey," he said angrily, running after her, "I was talkin' to you!" He ran up to her, and caught her arm.

"Excuse me," she said, as politely as she could, still clinging to the hope that she could get a clean getaway. That was not the case. As soon as the short sentence exited her lips, the boy tightened his grip on her, and she was soon surrounded by him and his friends. Anastasia froze, her eyes darting from side to side, trying to figure out if she could escape or not.

She was fairly fit, and she was good with her knives. She had gotten into fights in the past- outnumbered. But it was one thing to fight one on three, and this was more like one on ten. Broaching down, Anastasia got into position, forcing her body to lighten up so she could attack.

Before she could even grab her knives, the boys were thrown against the nearest brick wall at the same time by an invisible force. Anastasia straightened up, staring in shock at the pile of boys that had collapsed. Unfortunately, they didn't stay down for long, and most of them were back up again.

"Wot was 'at?" A different one demanded, holding a knife threateningly towards thin air. His eyes were darting side to side in the darkness, unable to see anything in the dim lighting.

"Must've been the wi'd," another one answered, scratching the back of his head. Before another one could pop up, the three standing ones were thrown against the wall. Hard. Anastasia was pretty sure that she heard their spines break. She winced slightly at the sound, but didn't feel too bad for them. After all, who knows what they could have done. And if not to her, then to others?

At the noise, the four remaining boys got up and started to run. Unfortunately for them, they didn't make it that far. Once they had taken two steps, an unidentifiable force swept them off their feet, and slammed them into a building.

On unsteady feet, Anastasia started to back away, holding two throwing knives loosely in her hands.

"Who's there?" She asked cautiously, shifting her weight from foot to foot, to keep her balance. "Ciel or Claude?" Anastasia asked, shifting her eyes from place to place, "Or are you someone else?" Hearing a familiar faint chuckle, she relaxed slightly, but not completely. Soon, Ciel stepped into the lamplight, the glow illuminating his black top hat on top of his navy blue hair.

"Hello, Anastasia," Ciel greeted, with a tip of his hat. Anastasia tightened her lips, and nodded back reluctantly. She supposed she was grateful for him saving her, even if it was Ciel. "You do tend to attract trouble, don't you," Ciel said casually.

"I don't attract trouble, trouble finds me," Anastasia snapped at him. "That is why you're here, isn't it?" Ciel arched an eyebrow.

"Hm," he chuckled, "I suppose that's true." He gave a mock bow. "If that is the case, then please allow 'trouble' to walk you home." Anastasia pursed her lips. Even if she said no, he would insist and/or follow her anyway.

"_Fine_," she huffed, spinning on her heel, and starting to walk towards her apartment. As she strode away from Ciel, she didn't see the smirk hat curved his lips before he caught up to her.

"So," Ciel said casually, "How did you manage to get in trouble this time?" Anastasia rolled her eyes at him.

"_I_ didn't get in trouble," she corrected, "_I _was just walking down the street, and some boys thought it would be appropriate for them to start catcalling me." Ciel froze in his tracks for a moment and she stopped to stare at him. "Is something wrong?" She asked concernedly. He may be an evil creature from hell, but it would take a lot more than that to override her protective instincts.

Ciel shook his head, as if ridding himself of his thoughts.

"I should have…" He growled to himself, glaring into the distance. "Men these days…" Anastasia snapped her fingers in front of his face, effectively snapping him out of it.

"Oi!" She exclaimed, "What is it?" Ciel stared at her in shock for a moment, as if astonished that she would dare do that to him.

"Nothing," he said dismissively, schooling his features. There was an edge in his tone that warned Anastasia not to question more about it. And for once, she listened.

They soon arrived at her apartment, and at that moment, Anastasia remembered the holy water that was in her pocket. Freezing, Anastasia stood to face Ciel, conflicted.

_He did help me… _

_ Well! He also called you his property, and wants to use you!_ Ciel bowed slightly from the waist, when they arrived at her apartment. Anastasia nodded curtly back, her mind debating on what to do. _Do I see if it works, or not…?_

"Anastasia," Ciel said dryly, "Do try to stay out of trouble. It would be rather… problematic should I have to rescue you again." Anastasia flushed with anger at that.

"I didn't need you to save me!" Anastasia retorted, "I was fine by myself, thanks." Ciel arched an eyebrow.

"I'll keep that in mind, then, next time you need help." Ciel tipped his hat slightly to me, before sauntering away under the lamplight. _Just spray it at him!_ Soon, though, Ciel was gone, and the opportunity to use the holy water was gone. Anastasia wasn't sure why she didn't use it in the first place.

_Well_, she thought, _He did save me, after all. Besides, I think it'd be best if I saved it for an emergency, or something like that… _With that thought in her mind and feeling extraordinarily tired from the day's adventures, she went up to her room and fell asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(A/N)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi, it's too late to actually read through this, so I'm so sorry for everything that happened in this chapter. Anywho, if you're as tired as I am, and you liked it, please review, they make me so so so so so so so happy.

Reviews:

Sakemori: I did tell you about it! It's _your _fault for not listening! *Sticks out tongue, childishly* Hmm.. Please, I was here before there _was_ a God, or even hell. I am one of the creators of the universe.

Scorpia1029: Yay!~ I'm glad you like it! (I'm sorry I took so long to update, I'm extremely lazy)

LinneaFox: Yay! I hope you liked the chapter!

KingCastles: I actually have a very wide variety of music tastes, which ranges from classic (Yo Yo Ma), to Kesha. (In my defense, I was listening to a nightmare playlist, and I had no idea what the lyrics were saying. Oops)

The Anime Dragon: He may… (But probably not). And thanks a lot. Now I have those images in my head, too.

Pepperkc: I will soon, but since this isn't a SebastianXOc fic, he won't be as important.

Emsereilda: I know! Isn't it?! I feel like that should be the official theme song for this fic, so whenever you read it, you listen to that song. Alright, it's official. THE OFFICIAL SONG FOR THIS FIC IS BRING ME TO LIFE BY EVANESCENCE.

Please R&amp;R


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Today was odd, to say the least. Anastasia was currently standing in front of a yoga studio with Vivanna. Her best friend had dragged her out of her apartment by her hair, and forced her to come with her to yoga. Anastasia had never been much of a yoga person, preferring to dance whenever she could. She loved ballet, and although she could never afford classes.

"Come on!" Vivanna called cheerfully at her, holding open the door. Anastasia reluctantly followed her into the cool, air-conditioned building- one of the few existing in London.

It was a newer building, proven by the fact that it was actually air-conditioned, and the modern looking on the exterior. Her shoes stuck slightly to the laminated tiles as Anastasia gazed around curiously. She got a few odd looks because of her appearance, but less so than she would have gotten had she been wearing her full makeup. Though she doubted the looks were mostly directed towards her, since she wasn't the one with electric blue hair.

They quickly paid the nice, elderly woman at the counter before moving into the yoga room. There were little lockers lining the wall, and Anastasia ditched her stuff in one of them.

"Is this your first time doing yoga?" Vivianna asked, slamming her locker shut and turning to face her friend. Anastasia nodded.

"Is it difficult?" She asked, furrowing her brow. Vivianna laughed, throwing her head back.

"It'll be easy for you!" She exclaimed dismissively, "You have amazing balance anyway. Remember when you walked down the _entire_ tightrope at the fair and you won like a bajillion prizes?" A smile tugged at Anastasia's lips at the memory. Vivianna had taken her to the circus- since she'd never been before- and she had awed all of the stall workers with her balance. Anastasia had had to get someone to carry all of her prizes to their car.

"Good point," Anastasia answered, grinning. Vivianna smirked in response before linking arms with her and moving her towards the middle. Anastasia rolled out her borrowed yoga mat that was covered in purple flowers.

Before long, their instructor came in and smiled at all of them.

"Good afternoon everyone," she said with a winning smile, "It's nice to see you all." She settled herself up in the front, crossing her legs in indian-style. After instructing them to do the same, they began the Om. Everyone in the room hummed deep in their throats, filling the room with the sound. Almost everyone had their eyes closed, enjoying the serenity.

Anastasia cracked open an eyelid, glancing at Vivianna. The Om was said to be the sound of the universe, or so Vivianna had told her. She didn't really understand how humming was the sound of the universe, but it was their beliefs. She didn't want to impose on them.

Through her cracked eyelid, she examined everyone in the room out of habit. Up front, there was an overweight woman who was already sweating, even though they hadn't done anything strenuous yet. To her right, there was a young woman- about eighteen- who was very relaxed and had obviously done this a million times. As Anastasia let her gaze wander around the room, she noticed something strange. Most of these people were familiar to her.

Staring at the back of a brunette's head, Anastasia furrowed her brow. She had caught a glimpse of her earlier, and she was certain that she had seen her before. But where?

As if the woman could sense the eyes staring questioningly at her, she turned around to face her. Anastasia could see something in her eyes, a mixture of familiarity and mischief. The woman smirked at her, looking at her knowingly, before turning right back around to face the front. Anastasia sat in muted shock. The woman had obviously recognized her, what other reason would she have for doing this?

The rest of the class passed quickly, and Anastasia found herself to actually be good at yoga, much to her disbelief. But she couldn't find it in her to care much as she continued to stare at the strange brunette.

"Hey," Vivianna said, after the ending Om had finished and everyone was packing up to leave. Anastasia snapped out of her trance, and turned to smile at her friend.

"Yeah?" Anastasia inquired. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the brunette talking to her friend.

"Are you okay, you seem a little… off," Vivianna commented hesitantly. Anastasia grinned reassuringly.

"I'm fine, I had a lot of fun!" She said cheerfully. Vivianna's worried demeanor quickly melted away, and she smiled in relief.

"Good, I'm glad you're okay," she said. Anastasia smiled back at her, and let her drag her away. As she walked behind her, Anastasia let her smile drop as she glanced backwards at the mysterious brunette. At the last moment, Anastasia could have sworn that the brunette flashed a cunning grin at her. Blinking, Anastasia looked ahead, making sure to ignore everything else.

_What was that? Who was she, anyway?_ Anastasia could have sworn that she had seen that woman before, but where? She wracked her brain, searching in her memories for that face, to no avail.

When they got to the corner, Vivianna hailed a cab for them. Once they got in, Vivianna turned to face her.

"I'm glad you could come with me today, wanna do it again sometime?" Vivianna asked sweetly. Anastasia returned her smile just a brightly, before nodding.

"I'd love to," Anastasia answered, her mind drifting back to the strange woman. The two friends sat in a comfortable silence for several moments, Anastasia staring out the window at the streets that passed by in a blur.

"Do you need to be dropped off back at your apartment?" Vivanna inquired, turning her head to look at her. Anastasia began to nod, but hesitated.

"Actually," she said, changing her mind, "Could you take me to the library?" Vivianna nodded, before addressing the driver and directing him to the nearest library. They soon arrived, and Anastasia got out of the cab.

"Thanks for taking me, you have my permission to kidnap me for it again sometime," Anastasia thanked Vivianna with a smile. Vivianna grinned back, tossing her hair over one shoulder.

"Any time, sweetheart. I keep saying you need to get out more!" Anastasia rolled her eyes to herself as the cab drove off, taking her friend with it. Sighing, she turned around to face the stone steps going up to the library. Steading herself, Anastasia began the steep climb up the stone staircase.

Anastasia needed to do some more research on 'Ciel Phantomhive'. She didn't know if there would even be anything on him, but she had to try. After all, it was worth a shot. If anyplace had something about her demon stalker, the library would.

Entering the library, she didn't take time to enjoy the scent of books and the serenity as she usually did. She beelined her way towards the newspapers and articles in the back. There were computers in the back that could show you pretty much every article known to man, going back as far as the seventeenth century. Anastasia was sure that she could find at least _something_.

Sitting down on the stool in front of a computer, she hesitated. She didn't know exactly how old Ciel was. Logically, he had to be at least kind of old to have that much power. Anastasia focused on when she had read his past. _He was a noble, so it had to be somewhere near the 1800s. _She knew that much, but when exactly? She focused harder, squeezing her eyes shut. A bead of sweat appeared on her forehead. _1875._

The thought popped into her head so suddenly, that she wasn't sure if she had just made it up or not. Nevertheless, her eyes flew open and she typed it out on the keyboard. Using the mouse, she clicked on the first article that popped up.

The first several articles were useless, not mentioning anything worthwhile. However, the sixth article proved to be what she was looking for.

The article was titled 'Long Live the Phantomhives!', and dated December 17, 1875. Clicking on it, Anastasia began to scan it the short article, engrossed in her reading. The article said:

_**The Phantomhives have recently had an heir to their legacy! Rachel and Vincent Phantomhive recently gave birth to their son, Ciel Phantomhive. The young boy will soon become the heir to a large- and mysterious- inheritance. The Phantomhives- also known as the Guard Dogs of the Queen- have always been shrouded in mystery, no one is entirely certain what they do**_**. **

Anastasia paused in her reading for a moment, for some reason that line seemed familiar to her. Where had she heard that phrase before, 'Guard Dog of the Queen'? Shrugging, Anastasia turned back to her reading.

_**Society gladly welcomes the newest addition to the Phantomhive family, and expects to see great things in the future.**_

The article ended there, leaving Anastasia at a loss. It hadn't proved itself extremely useful, so she clicked back to her previous page to search some more. This time, she searched ten years after the previous date, hoping that there would be more articles concerning the oh-so-mysterious Ciel Phantomhive.

Scrolling down, she kept going until she found something of interest. Once again clicking on an article, she began to read.

The process was slow and tedious, and she still couldn't find anything. There wasn't even a small mention of a Phantomhive anywhere! Time passed quickly, and before she knew it, it was almost closing time. Rubbing her bleary eyes with her fists, Anastasia clicked on one last article in hope that it would somehow be useful. Fortunately, it was.

The article was dated January 7, 1885, and titled "The Phantomhive Return". Encouraged by the title, Anastasia began to read enthusiastically.

_**Following the fire that ravaged the Phantomhive manor, Ciel Phantomhive returns after the death of his mother and father! The esteemed noble- only ten years of age- has been granted the title of the Queen's Guard Dog, after his predecessor, Vincent Phantomhive. Ciel Phantomhive refused to say where he had been all this time, instead saying that he would continue to look ahead and serve the Queen. **_

The article went on to say how a ceremony was going to be held in a few weeks, formally bestowing the title upon Ciel. Anastasia sat in shock at the screen, staring blankly at it. That was a lot to happen to one person, she should know. To have your house burn down and to have your parents murdered in their beds? Anastasia also recalled when she had looked into Ciel's past, the brief glimpse at a cult. She had a feeling she knew where he was during that month…

"Excuse me, Miss?" One of the librarians asked. Anastasia whipped around in her chair, quickly closing her current window.

"Yes?" She responded pleasantly, making sure to keep a smile on her face. The librarian wasn't that much older than her, only by two years at the most. She was quite cute with long brown hair in a bun.

"I'm afraid that the library is closing in five minutes, and you'll have to leave," she said with a sympathetic smile. She obviously assumed that Anastasia was studying for a test or something and had to get her work done. Smiling quickly back at her, Anastasia hopped to her feet, pulling her bag up with her.

"No problem!" Anastasia answered with a good natured tone. Nodding politely, Anastasia made her way out of the library.

Apparently during the time she was locked away inside the library it had started raining and Anastasia had to run to the street corner to hail a cab. Holding her bag over her head, Anastasia stuck out her hand to hail a cab. When it stopped, she gratefully started to get in. As she did so, she caught a glimpse of familiar brown hair out of the corner of her eye.

Jerking her head in that direction, Anastasia could have sworn she saw the same woman from yoga out of the rain streaked window. _What was she doing here? Is she following me?_

"Where to Miss?" The cab driver asked. Snapping out of her thoughts for now, Anastasia quickly answered.

"Walcorn street please," she said shortly, before turning her head to stare out the window. The cab driver nodded as he starting to drive in that direction. Unbeknownst to her, the cab driver's eyes glowed bright fuchsia before turning back to red.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(A/N)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey guys, sorry it took so long. Sorry for the short chapter, but hope you liked it all the same! XD Also, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! I'm a review whore, reviews make me oh-so-happy!

Reviews:

Scorpia1029: Yay! Thanks, hope you liked this chapter. (Don't worry, she probably will) *Wink wink*

Esereilda: I haven't, but I'll be sure to look it up! Ah, Ciel, ever the gentleman! (Although he is technically the spawn of satan). And don't worry, Anastasia's saving it up for something special… Or someone…

Please R&amp;R!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Instead of lightening, the rain steadily became heavier, soon thudding against the windows. _Who was that woman?_ Anastasia was still in a sort of trance, thinking about the strange woman. It couldn't be a coincidence that she kept seeing her… could it? No, the universe was rarely so lazy.

Anastasia was snapped out of her thoughts when the cab abruptly came to a halt. Narrowing her eyes at the driver, she snapped at him.

"What are you doing?" She snapped as he got out of the cab. Standing jerkily, he strode to her side of the cab, opening her door. He was moving strangely, almost like a puppet being controlled by an incompetent handler. "What?" She repeated, unmoving from her seat. Without answering, the driver reached in a hand and gripped her tightly by her arm. Roughly being pulled out, Anastasia didn't have time to balance herself and stumbled slightly.

"Hey-" Anastasia's voice had a tinge of vulnerable fear. Staring upwards at his face, she noticed that his eyes were completely glazed over- unseeing. The crimson red was covered with a shadowy film, something she had never seen anything like before. He obviously wasn't in his right mind, and that scared her even more. He was far taller than her- at least seven inches- and she stood no chance against him. _If only I had my knives…_

Pulling her along, the man started walking into a darkened alley, forcing Anastasia along with him. Anastasia stumbled, desperately trying to regain her balance so she could at least try to escape. Just the day for her to not be wearing her vial of holy water. She had only avoided it because there was no place to wear it in her clothing since she had been going to yoga with Vivianna. _Curse you Viv, _Anastasia bit out to herself, _If I survive this, I'm going to kill you._

Once they were completely in the dark, the man threw her on the ground.

"Ouch!" Anastasia yelped as her backside hit the hard ground. Before she could get up, the shadows around her one by one turned to reveal a person in each one. A group of six figures, both male and female, surrounded her. They were all clothed in black and leather, almost blending in with the dark alleyway. Their faces were obstructed by black masks, covering their mouths and noses.

As she tried to stand, two of them pushed her back to her knees, forcibly holding her to the ground. Anastasia whipped her head back and forth frantically, struggling against their grip. Frustrated, the one on her right weaved his hand in her hair, anchoring her in place. The rest of the group surrounded them and Anastasia noticed something very important about all of them. Their eyes were all red. _Demons._

She stifled a gasp at the realization, her eyes darting between the four of them. She couldn't see the ones on either side of her, but she could tell that one was male and the other was female. Her eyes gazed at them warily, wondering where this was going. _Are they going to kill me?_ It seemed like a likely option, and not by far the worst.

The four demons in front of her abruptly parted, letting a dark figure stride through. Anastasia stiffened at the newest demon's confident gait. Unlike the others, he had his face exposed. In another setting, he would have been rather handsome. But Anastasia was too overcome with fear to notice.

The male figure had thick black hair that framed his face, falling into his crimson eyes. He had an arrogant smirk on his face, looking down at her kneeling on the ground. He was tall and hand an olive complexion. Anastasia couldn't tear her gaze away from him as he kneeled down beside her, staring her in the eyes. He gazed in amusement at her for a moment, before standing up and turning to the male to Anastasia's right.

"Did she bring her?" He asked in a voice that made Anastasia's skin crawl. The man holding her nodded gravely. Smirking darkly, the dark haired man chuckled before kneeling back down in front of Anastasia.

"Who are you?" She found the courage to spat at him. He arched a high eyebrow at her tone. Smirking, he roughly grabbed her face tightly.

"My name is Vlad," the raven-haired male answered lightly. A couple of the demons behind him were shifting uncomfortably at her tone.

"What do you want?" She growled, glaring up at him. Cooly, Vlad stood up, clasping his hands behind him. He stood there in silence for several minutes, examining her.

"You have something I want," he answered eventually. Anastasia's mind immediately went to every object that she owned that could be of value. "It was given to you by a certain… demon by the name of Ciel Phantomhive," Vlad further commented. Anastasia's eyes widened. _But he didn't give me anything!_ Unless you count the money he gave her on her last visit, that is. Other than that, the navy-haired demon hadn't given her anything. _Besides an irrational fear to go anywhere, anymore…_ Despite knowing she had no such item, Anastasia kept her mouth shut. Maybe she could talk her way out of this…

Vlad subtly nodded to someone in the shadows. Stepping out of the dark, the mysterious brown-haired woman appeared with a smirk on her face. She was still wearing her clothing from yoga

"Ah!" Vlad exclaimed happily, "Enithe, lovely to see you." Enithe looked at Anastasia, smirking down at her.

"It's nice to see you again, master," she purred. Anastasia's stomach churned from hearing the demoness. She was just realizing how hopelessly outnumbered she was. There were eight demons- nine if you count the driver- surrounding her. And she didn't even have her holy water on her. _What a time to forget it…_ "I have something for you."

Enithe reached in a hand towards the shadows, pulling out a dark form. Holding the figure up against her, she put a knife to her throat. Anastasia's eyes widened at the sight. It was Vivianna hanging from the demoness's arms.

"Viv-" Anastasia whispered, cutting herself off. Enithe grinned, continuing to hold the obsidian knife to Vivianna's throat. She was unconscious, but she was slowly awakening. At Anastasia's voice, Vivianna fully woke up, her eyes darting back and forth around their surroundings.

"Anne-" Vivianna asked nervously, looking shaken, "Where are we?" The usually confident girl looked terrified.

"It's alright Viv, it'll be alright," Anastasia futilely soothed.

"Hmm… No it won't!" Vlad mocked, pretending to ponder it for a moment. "See, if you don't give me what I want, I'm going to kill your friend. It's really that simple." Vivianna's eyes widened, looking absolutely terrified for the first time since Anastasia met her.

"Anne," Vivianna started, her voice shaking, "What does he mean?" When she didn't answer, Vivianna swallowed visibly. "What does he mean?" She repeated weakly.

"I'm sorry Viv; I'm so, so sorry," Anastasia apologized, choking back a sob. Her best- and only- friend was going to die because she didn't have some stupid thing. _Why did I have to get caught up in this world?_ Now her best friend was going to pay the price for a demon's curiosity. _I hope he's satisfied,_ Anastasia thought bitterly.

"Oh," Vlad said disappointedly, "Don't be sorry! Just get the item and return it to me tomorrow at midnight." _But I don't _have_ it._ Vlad gave a closed-eye smile, tilting his head as he did so. Nodding to Enithe, he silently told her to start dragging Vivianna away.

"No- NO!" Vivianna yelled, "An- ANASTASIA!" Her screams echoed through the empty streets until they ominously stopped.

"I'll be at your store at midnight tomorrow, make sure you have it or your friend dies," Vlad threatened, much more seriously than before. His face was a mask of cruelty and almost _boredom_. But there was a glint of mania in his eyes, one you only saw in a very few.

Spinning on his heel, he strode out of the mouth of the alley. One by one the rest of them followed him, leaving me kneeling in the dust at a loss.

A choked sob made its way up her throat. With that, the dam broke. Burying her face in her hands she let the tears flow. _This is all that damn demon's fault!_ If he had never come into her shop, none of this would have ever happened! Anastasia didn't even know what it was that Vlad wanted. Still stifling her choked sobs with her hands, it dawned on Anastasia what she would have to do.

Shakily standing up, the tears on her face trailed down her face. The rain had stopped, finally, but it was little consolation to what had just happened. Taking a deep breath, Anastasia walked out of the alleyway. She looked up and down the street. Not seeing a car in sight, she started walking down the street, hoping to reach civilization. Anastasia had no idea where she was, but if she kept walking she had to eventually reach somewhere.

Anastasia took a shuddering breath, thinking about what she would have to do. _Out of everyone, Ciel has to be able to help me._ She didn't have a clue what Vlad wanted from her, but Ciel must. And there couldn't be many Phantomhives in the phone book, she had to be able to find him. The only problem would be convincing him. After all, why would he choose to help her? There was nothing in it for him. She would just have to convince him somehow.

Eventually she reached a familiar part of London, making her way towards a busier street. Once she got to a semi-busy part of London, she stuck out her hand to hail a cab. A cab stopped on her first try, and she got in, directing the driver to her library once again. She sat back in her seat, staring out the window. The driver didn't try to talk to her, probably seeing the lost and distant look in her eye. Anastasia's eyes misted over, thinking of the previous events. She was still slightly in denial that Vivianna was captured, all because of her. _No, it's because of that _demon_. It's his fault._ Anastasia scowled to herself, her brow creasing as she thought of him. Her lip curled distastefully as she thought of what she was going to ask him. _I can't just _ask _him for help…_ But she would have to; she had to help Viv.

The cab soon halted to a stop in front of the familiar building. Tossing the appropriate amount towards the driver, Anastasia got out and quickly walked up the steps. She slammed open the entrance door, ignoring the dirty look the librarian at the front desk gave her. Anastasia immediately made her way towards the reference section, pulling out the thick address book.

Pulling out a chair, she sat down and started intently searching through it. It was several years old, but she doubted that would matter. Ciel was obviously very old, and undoubtedly has been living here for a long time. Flipping to the 'P' section, she scanned the page searching for the name 'Phantomhive'. Anastasia nearly groaned in frustration when she realized that it didn't have it.

Crossing her arms on the table, she rested her head on them for a moment, collapsing. _What am I going to do?_ Maybe she could try asking someone. The fire seemed like a big event, maybe one of the librarians knew where its location. Getting up, Anastasia shelved the address book back on the shelf, before making her way to the information desk.

She nearly groaned when she realized the librarian sitting at the desk was the same one from earlier. Nevertheless, Anastasia plastered a smile on her face and walked up to her.

"Hi," Anastasia greeted sweetly, "I was wondering if you could help me." The stern-looking librarian softened at her words. The elder seemed taken in with her guise of politeness.

"What is it you need?" The older lady asked. A quick look at her name tag proclaimed her name was Margaret.

"I was wondering if you know the location of the Phantomhive Fire?" Anastasia asked, letting just a hint of shyness pervade her voice. It was almost scary how easily she was able to do this. Then again, this came after many years of practice. The old lady got a look of slight confusion on her face.

"Why, that would be at the Phantomhive manor," she answered, bemused, "But it's only ruins now. Why do you ask?" Anastasia kept the smile plastered on her face.

"For school," she answered, arguably too quickly, "I need to take some photos for a project I'm doing." After a moment of scrutinizing her, the old lady sighed, pulling out a pad of paper. After quickly scribbling something down, the elder handed it to her.

"Here," she sighed, "This is where the manor used to stand. But I would do it quickly, I've heard of some people going missing over there."

"Oh, lovely," Anastasia muttered under her breath so the other lady couldn't hear. "Thank you so much," she said sincerely, louder this time. The older woman smiled at her.

"Any time, dear." Anastasia nodded at her before quickly striding out of the library. This time she made sure the doors didn't close too loudly. Looking down at the paper, Anastasia read the address scribbled on it.

"Two thirty-one West Rivershore road," Anastasia read aloud. Crumpling the piece of paper, she stuffed it in her pocket as she hailed a cab.

When a cab stopped for her, she got in.

"I need to go to Two thirty-one West Rivershore road, please," Anastasia said. Through the mirror, the cab driver raised his bushy, grey eyebrows.

"That's a forty-five minute drive, missy," he said heavily. His voice was deep with years of smoking.

"I'll pay you double," Anastasia said quickly, desperate. His eyebrows shot up again, but he nodded as he started to drive.

Anastasia spent the drive in anxious silence, her fingers tapping out a pattern on the seat. She was filled with a nervous energy, and rightfully so. Her best friend had been captured by a demon who wanted something from her- what it was, she didn't know. And worst of all, Anastasia was filled with a fear that she would be able to help her. _Not again, not again…_ Even though it wasn't actually her fault, Anastasia was filled with guilt.

What if she couldn't save her? What if Vivianna was murdered before she even had a chance to live? What if…? Anastasia's mind was filled to the brim with so many 'what if-s' that it was almost a relief when the cab stopped.

Glancing out the window, her eyes widened in shock. The manor was most certainly not a ruin. In fact, it would have looked brand new had it not been for the Victorian style it had been built in. The stone manor was surrounded by a green wood and an iron gate on all sides.

Getting out of the cab, Anastasia gave the promised money to the man, and he drove off without another word. Anastasia was left alone standing at the gate. Taking a shuddering breath, she pushed open the gate entrance open. It opened with a creak, allowing Anastasia enough room to slip through. Treading up the long path to the front door, she got the distinct feeling that she was being watched.

Squaring her shoulders, she made it the front door and knocked with the brass knocker. She was left only waiting a moment before the door was opened by a raven-haired man with crimson eyes. He was obviously a demon, but Anastasia blinked as she saw him. _That is a beautiful man._ Shaking her head slightly, she gave a wavering smile.

"What can I do for you, Miss?" The man asked politely, examining her with his gaze. Anastasia took a deep breath and let it out.

"I need to see Ciel," Anastasia explained quickly, in one breath of air. The man raised an eyebrow.

"The Young Master does not permit visitors," he said smoothly after a moment. Refraining from rolling her eyes, she merely retorted.

"Just tell him that it's Anastasia," she said. The man gazed at her critically, obviously wondering who she was. After a moment, he nodded, opening the door to admit her. Graciously nodding back, Anastasia took a step inside the luxurious entrance hall.

"Wait here, and do refrain from wandering," the man ordered, giving her a sweeping look that said all she needed to know. Anastasia did not want to cross this man. Anastasia nodded quickly. Seeing it, the man gracefully ascended the stairs.

Distracted, Anastasia began going around the room, admiring the paintings on the walls. They were quite lovely, to be honest. This entire manor, it seemed, was just meant to be beautiful. How ironic that demons lived here.

"Strange to find you here," a heavy voice said behind her in amusement. Anastasia whipped around from the painting to face Ciel. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" Ciel was standing on the stairs, a few steps from the bottom. He was looking as good as ever, a fact Anastasia chose to ignore. Anastasia swallowed thickly, facing the object of a good portion of her fear. But now, however, necessity overpowered her terror.

"Your home is lovely," Anastasia said distractedly, after a moment. Ciel arched an eyebrow, stepping down the rest of the stairs.

"I doubt you came all this way just to admire my home," Ciel commented, his voice heavy with sarcasm. "Why are you here?" He repeated, a hint of curiosity entering his voice. What in the world could make his little curiosity enter the domain of a demon? Anastasia swallowed, taking a deep breath and mentally preparing herself to say the bitter words.

"I need your help." Ciel arched an eyebrow.

"Come right along."

~o0o~

Anastasia chose to stand in front of Ciel's desk, trying to regain some sort of control in her mind. Not that it worked. Ciel sat in his chair with a casual elegance. There was something about him that made him seem king-like. Every chair he sat in was a throne, every floor he walked on- a red carpet. Every word he spoke seemed deserving of individual praise. Anastasia didn't know what it was about him, but he just seemed to have a sort of charm about him.

Right now, Anastasia was clasping her hands in front of her, twisting them to try to calm her nerves.

"What is it exactly that you need help with?" Ciel asked seriously. Anastasia swallowed.

"My friend, Vivianna, has been kidnapped by a demon," Anastasia explained. Ciel tilted his head, gazing at her with curiosity.

"I fail to see how that involves me," Ciel replied sardonically.

"She was kidnapped by a demon named 'Vlad', who seems to think you gave something to me, and he wants it quite badly." Ciel's eyes got an understanding spark in them when he heard Vlad's name.

"I see," Ciel said calmly, leaning back in his chair.

"But you didn't give me anything, did you?" She asked desperately. Anastasia was at her wit's end with this. "And why would he even want it?" Ciel allowed a smirk to grace his lips.

"I did give you something," Ciel muttered, "I hid it in your apartment when you saw me." Anastasia's eyes widened. _This all happened because he hid something in my flat?_

"What was it?" Anastasia demanded harshly. He arched an eyebrow at her tone, but didn't reprimand her for it.

"It was a necklace," Ciel answered. It was Anastasia's turn to look shocked. _He hid a _necklace_ in my room?_ Ignoring how entirely creepy that was for a moment, Anastasia shook her head.

"Why would he threaten my best friend for a _necklace_?" She asked incredulously. Ciel glanced up at her, arching an eyebrow.

"It wasn't _just_ a necklace," Ciel responded, rolling his eyes, "It was the Bluemoon Diamond." Her jaw dropped open as she heard the name. Even _she_ had heard of it. The Bluemoon Diamond was a famous necklace that belonged to a well-known psychic who had just died. It was sold at an auction for several million pounds about six months ago.

"The _Bluemoon Diamond_ is sitting in my flat?" Anastasia asked incredulously. "Why would you even give that to me?" Ciel gave a noncommittal half-shrug.

"As an experiment," Ciel answered casually, "I wanted to see if it would affect your abilities. But evidently you didn't see it."

"_Obviously not_." Anastasia continued looking at him like he was insane. _What kind of person leaves a multi-million pound necklace in someone's flat for no good reason?_ People who apparently burn money.

"Vlad obviously wants it because he thinks it has some magical power," Ciel sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair. They sat in a contemplative silence for a moment, Anastasia staring out the window, lost in her thoughts. She only came to when Ciel leaned forward in his chair and interlaced his fingers.

"But what I fail to see is how it involves me," Ciel said, his voice faintly mocking. A smirk tugged at his lips as a fire grew inside Anastasia.

"You have to help me save Vivianna!" Anastasia exclaimed. On the off chance she was actually able to find the necklace hidden in her flat, she wouldn't be able to handle Vlad on his own. Chances were that as soon as she handed over the necklace, Vlad would kill Vivianna and her anyway. Anastasia was fine with her own death, but Viv wasn't allowed to die- she couldn't. She had barely lived.

"Why should I? You can do nothing for me." At those words, Anastasia's heart sunk in her chest.

"Bec- I-" Anastasia felt a rock growing in her stomach as realization dawned on her. She had nothing to offer him, nothing to bargain with. And if he didn't help her, she wouldn't be able to save Vivianna. Without Ciel's help both her and Vivianna would die. _Well there is one thing…_

"I- You're curious about me, correct?" Anastasia asked, her voice wavering for the first time. Ciel raised an eyebrow before nodding. He stared contemplatively at her over the top of his hands. Anastasia took a shuddering breath.

"If you help me," she began, "I'll live here and you can observe me all you wish." At her words, Ciel's face broke into a grin.

"Deal." With that word, her fate was sealed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(A/N)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello my lovelies, I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter. (Do you know how many times I started writing in First Person?) For the past month, I've been wanting to write in here, but I've always thought 'but I don't know where to start'. Then I realized. I ended on a cliffhanger. I'm a dumbass.

Anywho, I hope you liked the chapter. Also, news if you are in the X-Men fandom, I have a new fic called 'Here We Stand'. Please read and review if you have time.

Reviews!:

Uxintaa: Yay! I'm glad you like this fic. I'm also really glad you like the other side to Ciel portrayed in this fic.

pluutia: *Throws update at you* Here you are mi'lady! I'm glad you like this fic.

scorpia1029: I updated! I hope you liked it.

MagentaPeace: I'm really glad you like Anastasia! I'm sorry about Claude, but every hero needs a good old-fashioned villain. (Haha, Sherlock reference) I actually based Nevermore off of this fic, because I actually wrote &amp; designed this first, though I published Nevermore first. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Guest: Sorry, no Sebastian. But at least he's in this chapter!

Tye-Dye Girl: Sorry your teacher got mad at you! (But not really because you were reading this) XD

awesomealixe: I hope this chapter cleared up everything. I'm glad you like the slow ease into the story- and this time there's actually a plot. (At least, in the beginning. I don't know about after this).

Esmereilda: I hope you liked the chapter!

Please review, they make me work harder &amp; faster (Though sometimes it may not show… Sorry about that…)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~fandomania101~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Anastasia paced anxiously around her shop. It was after hours, nearing eleven o'clock at night. She was supposed to trade the necklace for her Vivianna tonight, and she was becoming increasingly nervous with each passing minute. It didn't help that a certain demon was hiding in her shop. Anastasia didn't know exactly how or where he was hiding, but he was doing a damn good job of it.

In her hand was a priceless necklace with a large, brilliant blue stone hanging from the chain. After Ciel had gotten her to the shop, he somehow managed to get the necklace from her apartment in the span of five minutes. Holding the necklace up to the lamplight, Anastasia admired it. A part of her thought it would be a pity to give the necklace to Vlad, but the other part of her wanted rid of it. The thing intrigued and put her off at the same time. There were traces of energy on it, but they were neither good nor bad- something Anastasia wasn't used to.

Lost in thought, she continued to gaze at the blue diamond trinket. Snapping out of it, she stuffed the necklace into one of her pockets in her dress, before continuing to pace the room.

"Calm down." Anastasia spun around at Ciel's voice from behind her. She stared at him warily for a moment, before starting to pace again.

"Sorry," she muttered distractedly, continuing to wear a hole in the carpet. Behind her, Ciel sighed and rolled his eyes. _What if this doesn't work?_ Anastasia thought to herself, _What if I can't help Vivianna? I can't let anything bad happen to her, I can't. How is Vlad even treating her? What if she's being tortured- oh god…_ Anastasia was snapped out of her thoughts when a hand grabbed her arm.

"He's not going to show up faster if you keep worrying," Ciel stated almost boredly. "Excuse me for being worried about my best friend," Anastasia snapped. Ciel arched an eyebrow as she wretched her arm from him. Her mind was overcome with possibilities that she completely forgot to be afraid of the demon. _What if he hurt her? What if she's already dead? Oh my god- she can't be! She just can't!_ Ciel's brow twitched as he looked at the anxious female. Granted, he may have lived for hundreds of years- but women continued to be a mystery to him. Or at least this female. His eyes narrowed as he looked at her. Never had he met someone so peculiar.

"How did you meet her?" Ciel asked, hoping to distract her from her anxiousness. He may not be a necessarily kind person, but he did have his moments. Anastasia stopped in her tracks and turned her head curiously to him. _Why does he care?_ Shaking her head to herself, she answered the question.

"We met when I was thirteen," Anastasia answered, her eyes misting over, "I was living on the street, telling people's fortune for a living. Vivianna had heard rumors of this girl who could read someone's past and future and she searched for me." Memories of a ten year-old Vivianna searching for the seer ran through her mind. Vivianna was even spunky back then- not taking no for an answer. She didn't even seem perturbed by the fact that most of the people in that area would have no qualms about killing her. "She and her mother were always fascinated with the occult, and they took me in after-" Anastasia broke off suddenly.

"After what?" Ciel prompted.

"It doesn't matter," Anastasia muttered, beginning to pace again. Behind her, Ciel arched an eyebrow, but didn't press the issue. He could inquire about it later.

Suddenly exhausted, Anastasia plopped down in her chair. Pulling the diamond necklace out of her pocket, she examined the twinkling stone. _It really is beautiful_, Anastasia thought. She could freely admit that. The blue stone gleamed under the warm lighting. Unconsciously, she wrapped the chain around her fist and unwound it- repeating the action several times. With her eyes glazed over and staring into the distance, she didn't notice how Ciel was intently watching her.

Ciel lazily turned around and made his way to her shelves, examining her book collection. Anastasia's eyes snapped to him, distracted from her thoughts by his sudden movement.

"You have quite the collection," Ciel commented after a moment, holding his hands behind his back. Anastasia allowed herself a small, prideful smile.

"Thank you," she returned, nodding. Ciel pulled a book off her shelf and turned to her.

"Do you mind?" He inquired, raising an eyebrow. Anastasia nodded dismissively.

"Of course," she answered, turning her head away, "It's not like they'll be getting much attention once I'm gone." Ciel nodded, sitting down in her other- much less comfortable- chair that was usually reserved for her costumers. Anastasia was unable to reel in her curiosity as she peeked at the book he'd picked out.

"Poe?" Anastasia asked incredulously. Ciel arched an eyebrow at her.

"Yes," he answered coldly, assuming she was mocking him, "What of it?"

"Oh nothing!" She answered quickly, "I'm just very fond of him, that's all." Ciel raised his eyebrows.

"Really?" He asked, surprised. "Do you read him often." Anastasia allowed a small smile to grace her lips.

"Yes," Anastasia admitted, "And as unoriginal as it sounds, 'The Raven' was always a favorite of mine. Though, I have mistakenly read it before sleep a few times." Ciel gave a slight smirk that resembled a smile.

"I've done that as well a few nights," Ciel admitted, still smirking that strange smirk. After that, silence fell as they engaged in their different activities. Ciel read through the well-worn book while Anastasia continued to think on the upcoming events. Her brow knit together as she considered the possibilities. _What if something goes wrong and Vlad decides to hurt Vivianna anyway?_ She knew that Ciel wouldn't allow that to happen, but he didn't care as much as she did about Vivianna's wellbeing. _What if Ciel can't stop something from happening to Vivianna? What if she gets hurt?_ These thoughts swirled through her head until the clock chimed midnight.

Bolting up out of her chair, she said in a panic, "Ciel! You have to-" There was no one there. Stepping over to where he was sitting before, she picked up his book and put it back on the shelf. It still disturbed her to know how quickly he could disappear.

As she turned around, she heard the tell-tale thuds of footfalls outside her store. Listening intently, Anastasia's eyes widened when she heard the door open. It was agonizing to listen to the floorboards creak in the hallway as she waited for someone to appear. Finally, Vlad appeared in her doorway. At the sight, her fingers twitched, wanting a knife. She refrained, if only for the fact that he would catch the knife before it impaled him.

As soon as Vlad saw her, his face broke into an evil grin.

"Hello darling," he greeted mockingly. Anastasia scowled at him.

"Where is she?" Anastasia demanded through gritted teeth. Vlad sighed, acting as if he was disappointed. Beckoning at a figure by the door, the brunette women- Enithe- entered the room, holding a gagged Vivianna.

"Viv!" Anastasia started to rush to her friend's aid until Enithe pressed the knife harder into her throat, so much that beads of red appeared. Anastasia backed off at that, taking a few hesitant steps backward.

Even though Vivianna was being threatened, there was still a spark in her eye. She still looked as defiant as ever. Anastasia fought the urge to smile at her friend. _Even now she's enjoying it._ But what else would she do? She was surrounded by the supernatural creatures that fascinated her throughout her entire life.

"Good," Vlad commented, looking on at the scene with obvious enjoyment. "Do you have it?" Anastasia glared at him. Reaching into the pocket of her dress, she pulled out the priceless necklace. Vlad's pupils contracted into slits as he looked upon it. Fixing his gaze upon it, he stared at it for several moments, causing Anastasia's hand to shake from anxiousness. When he looked back up at her, her imagination made it seem like his eyes had glowed red.

"Here," Anastasia said distastefully, gesturing for him to take it. Slowly, he obliged. Slowly and predatorily, Vlad strode upon the floor to Anastasia. He moved the necklace to the light by holding Anastasia's wrist, not allowing her to let go. Anastasia barely stifled a shudder of revulsion that went through her. _Comparing the two, Ciel is definitely the lesser of two evils._ This man was absolutely _disgusting_.

"Excellent," Vlad commented after a moment. He continued to stare into her eyes as he removed the necklace from her grip. Not one to back away from a fight, Anastasia continued to stare back defiantly. Smirking slightly as if he'd won a game, Vlad turned and made a motion to the brunette.

"Release her," he ordered. Almost plastically, the brunette released Vivianna from her bonds, using the knife to cut through the rope. Vivianna fell to the ground, her muscles too weak to hold her up. Anastasia flew to her side immediately, sitting by her side on the floor.

"Vivianna!" Anastasia exclaimed, lifting up her friend's frame, "Are you alright?" Vivianna nodded before grumbling.

"You don't have to shout so much." Vivianna pushed Anastasia away, scrunching up her face as if she had a headache. The fight against smiling didn't succeed as Anastasia grinned happily at her very best friend.

"Are you alright, though?" Anastasia asked concernedly, wiping the smile off her face to be replaced with a worried expression. Vivianna nodded, rolling her eyes.

"I'm fine," she sighed, "If a bit confused." Anastasia fought a watery grin at her friend's reaction.

"I'll explain everything later," Anastasia promised.

"Ah- about that…" Vlad interrupted, "No, you won't." Anastasia turned to face him on the floor.

"What do you mean?" She asked protectively, wrapping her arms around Vivianna.

"Kill her." Anastasia's eyes widened in fear. Enithe smirked, yanking Vivianna out of Anastasia' grip.

"Ann!" Vivianna yelled, her arms flying out. Anastasia made a choked sound in the back of her throat as she stared in horror at her friend. She was propelled into action when Enithe raised the knife above her head.

"No!" Anastasia scrambled to her feet, grabbing a knife out of one of the many hiding places in her dress, only to be thrown back against the wall. Anastasia choked, gasping for non-existent breath.

"Ah, ah, ah," Vlad reprimanded sadistically, holding his arm out in front of him. His eyes glowed fuchsia under the golden lighting. Tears came to Anastasia's eyes as her lungs desperately screamed for air. A tightening sensation constricted her throat and air passageways. She couldn't breathe.

_Where's Ciel?_ He was supposed to be here- this was the reason why she even bargained her life away! Vivianna was going to die if he didn't help. Not to mention she probably would as well. _I swear to God, if that demon doesn't show up-_ She was cut off from her thoughts when a force barreled into Vlad, releasing her.

Falling to the floor, Anastasia didn't have time to catch her breath. _I need to help Viv!_ Pulling out one of her many sheathed knives, she threw it at Enithe, only to have her dodge. As her laser glare focused on Anastasia, she gulped. Enithe snarled, pulling out two curved swords from black sheathes on her back. _Well,_ she thought as she was forced to somersault under a table to avoid getting stabbed, _At least she's not after Vivianna._ Bolting up to her feet, Anastasia settled into a familiar fighting stance.

"Petty mortal," Enithe snarled, gripping her blades tightly. Anastasia didn't bother to respond with words, but instead with two knives aimed directly at her face. She dodged, forced to turn her head away to avoid getting cut. "Hey!" Enithe was cut open on the side of her face by the third knife.

Enithe gasped, unused to being struck by a mere _mortal_. She turned her glare to Anastasia who was grabbing two more knives that hung above her mantel.

"You little-" Enithe pounced upon Anastasia, knocking her to the ground. Not one to waste time, Enithe punched Anastasia square in the face. Anastasia grit her teeth as her skull clunked agains the floorboards. Fighting for control, she squirmed under her, trying to buck her off. Anastasia did manage to turn the tables, only for Enithe to once again flip them.

Staring down hungrily at her new prey, Enithe drew her cutlass and raised it above Anastasia. However, thinking it was her moment of triumph, Enithe made a mistake. She settled on Anastasia's hips. With a quick but powerful buck, Anastasia managed to flip Enithe onto the floor. Not daring to waste a second, Anastasia threw three knives with one throw. _Thunk. Thunk. Splat._ Two knives hit the floor. But the final one hit flesh.

After a moment, Anastasia dared to look. Enithe was laying on the floor with a knife embedded in her skull. It was a gruesome sight. She was laying in a pool of her own blood, that seemed darker than a normal human's might. Her skull was caved in from the impact of the knife, bits of bone peeking out from under the bloody flesh. Anastasia turned away in disgust. As she turned away, her gaze fell upon her friend.

"Vivianna!" Anastasia called, rushing over to her. Doing a quick check, she made sure her friend was alright- at least physically. However, her eyes were glazed over and she was shaking slightly.

"I'm so sorry you had to see that," Anastasia apologized, hugging her friend close. She did not respond. Eventually, Vivianna's hand found its way to her back.

"It's alright," Vivianna answered after several moments, "Just a little shocking." _A little?_ It was perfectly understandable to be shaken after seeing that. Hell, Anastasia was shaken after _doing_ that. Vivianna had just witnessed her best friend murdering her kidnapper. Yes, that was a little terrifying.

Someone cleared their throat behind Anastasia, and she turned to see who it was. Ciel was standing there with one eyebrow raised. A dead Vlad was lying on the floor a way away from him. Anastasia's eyebrows shot up. Somehow, Ciel managed to kill Vlad while Anastasia was busy with Enithe. Somehow in his one look, he managed to convey something. _It's time to go now._

Taking a shaky breath, Anastasia stood up, pulling Vivianna up with her.

"Viv," Anastasia started, trying to keep her voice firm, "I have to go somewhere, and I won't be able to see you as often." Vivianna's eyes went wide and she gripped Anastasia's forearms.

"But-" she stuttered, "Where? Why?"

"It's payment for some help that I got tonight," Anastasia answered.

"What!" Vivianna's head swiveled as she surveyed the room. Seeing Ciel, her gaze narrowed upon him.

"Is it to him?" She asked. Her tone wasn't scathing, but it was less than pleased. Anastasia sighed, wondering how she was supposed to handle this. How could she just say, 'Hey, I'm going to go live in this strange demon's house for an indefinite period of time until he gets tired of me! Don't wait up!'. There was no way she could do that to Viv.

"Yes," Anastasia answered, resigned. She could tell Vivianna wasn't happy with the arrangement by the way her jaw tightened. "I'll be staying with him." Vivianna's jaw dropped open.

"What?" She sputtered, "No! You can't!" Anastasia chuckled humorlessly.

"I'm afraid I made a deal- one that I don't regret and never will." Vivianna's eyes searched her friend's face. Her eyes widened with realization.

"You did this for me, didn't you?" She demanded, shocked. Anastasia hesitated a moment too long, and Vivianna took her silence as an answer. "Oh my God, you can't just do that!" Anastasia let out a deep breath.

"I don't regret it," she said honestly.

"What if you take me instead?" Vivianna asked desperately, looking imploringly at Ciel. Ciel snorted ungracefully.

"I'm afraid it's non-negotiable," he replied boredly. Vivianna's lip quivered as she continued to look at him. "You see, your friend's always been a point of curiosity for me- and I'd love to learn more." Vivianna's gaze hardened.

"You can't just do that!" She spat, looking angrily at the demon.

"Viv," Anastasia soothed, in a desperate attempt to calm her down, "It's alright." It worked, but only slightly. "It's time for you to go home, do you need a cab?" Vivianna shook her head.

"I can get one," she muttered. Unexpectedly, she threw her arms around Anastasia. Slightly surprised by the contact, Anastasia took a moment to wrap her arms around her friend. Anastasia closed her eyes, remembering all the years she'd spent with Vivianna. They were closer than friends, they were like sisters. After all, the blood forged in battle is stronger than the water of the womb.

Almost too early, the time came for Vivianna to let go.

"Promise I'll see you again," Vivianna implored, resting her hands on her friend's shoulders and looking up at her. Anastasia nodded, her eyes getting watery.

"It's not permanent, don't worry," Anastasia said, risking a quick glance at Ciel. As always, his face was impassive. Vivianna nodded, letting go completely of her friend.

"See you soon," Vivianna said with a slight smile. Anastasia could only just make herself return it.

"Promise," she answered thickly. Vivianna left and the silence left behind was only permeated by the chime of the door closing. Slowly turning around, Anastasia faced Ciel.

" 'Suppose that's it, then?" Anastasia asked throatily. Ciel nodded, looking around the room.

"For tonight, that is," Ciel answered vaguely. Anastasia didn't bother to tidy up the place as they left her shop. Ciel only stopped long enough to dispose of the bodies and all evidence. As they walked outside, she almost laughed at the normalcy of it all when she locked the door like always._ Even the most crazy a night can be slightly sane._ Anastasia looked wistfully down the street as they entered the cool night air.

"Do you want to make sure she gets home safely?" Ciel asked, arching an eyebrow. A grateful smile broke across Anastasia's lips.

"Yes please."

They flew through the air, Anastasia in Ciel's arms. It wasn't her preferred position, but she would deal with it for Vivianna. Together, they followed her cab through the streets of London. Eventually, it stopped at Vivianna's flat building. Somehow- as if by a freak of nature- Vivianna looked up at the door of her building. Grinning to herself, Anastasia allowed herself to wave wildly at her friend. A grin broke across Vivianna's face as she waved back.

Eventually, Anastasia stopped waving as Vivianna entered her flat. A strange sense of peace washed over Anastasia. It seemed like everything was over at last. For her- at least- it wasn't true. But she could pretend like it was.

Turning her head to Ciel, Anastasia asked, "Back to the manor?" Ciel smirked in assent.

"Back to the manor."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(A/N)~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Reviews:

Flyingtacofart: One, love the Url, Two- thank you!

Magneta Peace: I know, right! Claude is quite literally my least favorite villain. I hope you liked the chapter (and Vivianna).

Scorpia1029: You're welcome XD Don't worry, you'll see Sebastian soon…

awesomealixe: So glad you liked it! (Party for Anastasia living with Ciel- WOAH) I'm glad you like how Sebastian was introduced to the story.

Latara Hanu: Thank you so much, your review made my day!

dark shadow400: Yay! Glad you like it so far!

Esmereilda: Oh, don't worry. Anastasia's going to have a _lot_ of fun… (Tee hee)

Guest: Glad you liked it so much, hope you liked this chapter!

Tye-Dye Girl: I know, that would be my reaction. Seriously, Sebastian is too pretty for words. Hope you liked the chapter!

Please review!

~~~~~~~~~~~fandomania101~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Anastasia immediately hopped down from Ciel's arms when they arrived at his manor. _Her new home_, she corrected herself slightly bitterly in her head. Her throat was suddenly tight, most likely from being forced to leave her best friend. The worst thing was that Anastasia didn't know when she'd be able to see her again. Despite her promise to Vivianna, she couldn't confirm anything. Who knew when she would see her best friend again?

Anastasia held herself erect as she strode towards the entrance. Her dress was ripped and had spatters of blood on the edges. She most likely looked like one of the undead, but she didn't care. If she had tried to say a word in that moment, all she would've been able to get out would've been a croak. Luckily, Ciel didn't try to speak to her, instead walking behind her at a slower pace.

She stopped when she got to the door, she abruptly stopped as Ciel caught up to her. Anastasia opened her mouth before closing, then opening it again reluctantly.

"Thank you," Anastasia said lowly, not meeting Ciel's eyes, "For everything." She was being honest, he had done everything he'd said. He had helped save Vivianna, and for that Anastasia could never repay him. But even so, it didn't mean she had to be happy about the arrangement.

When she looked up, Ciel nodded at her with a cryptic look on his face. Looking away dismissively after a moment, he clicked his fingers, opening the door. Anastasia shot a look towards Ciel. His lips twitched slightly in response. Without waiting for Ciel, Anastasia strode into the Manor. Unlike the outside, the inside was brightly lit with candles from a chandelier. This manor was straight out of the Victorian era- with no concept of electrical lighting, it seemed.

Almost as soon as they entered, Ciel's demon butler appeared holding a tray with a letter in it.

"I assume all went well, young master?" The rather handsome demon inquired smoothly. Ciel nodded dismissively, taking the letter from him.

"As planned," Ciel answered, starting to saunter towards his study. "Show Anastasia to her room," he ordered casually. Ciel ripped open the letter and started to scan it on his way to his study, leaving Anastasia alone with the demon butler. Anastasia smiled nervously at him, still unused to the fact that this was now her home.

"Welcome, Miss…?" He began, arching an eyebrow. Anastasia plastered a fake smile on her face.

"It doesn't matter," she answered quickly, "Just call me Anastasia." The butler examined her

"This way, Miss Anastasia," the butler commented with a closed-eye smile. Anastasia reluctantly started to follow him up the stairs and down the hall. As they walked, she gazed along the walls. The hallway was lit with candles in sconces. No electric lighting- as expected.

"I never did get your name," Anastasia ventured after a moment. The butler turned his head to look at her over his shoulder.

"Sebastian Michaelis, Miss," he answered. Anastasia nodded, giving a small smile.

"Lovely to meet you," she said politely. Sebastian's eyes widened for a fraction of a second, getting a confused expression on his face. He quickly wiped it off, though. They soon stopped at an oak door. Effortlessly gliding forward and opening it, Sebastian bowed at the waist. He motioned for her to go in, giving a closed-eye smile.

"This will be your room," he said, still smiling, "I hope it is to your liking." Walking in and gazing around, Anastasia nodded absently. The room was much better than her old one- well, at least fancier. It was spacious, at least thrice the size of her bedroom. The walls were painted a midnight blue with a large bed against one of the walls. On the farthest wall there was a large, glass door that opened up to a balcony. It was lovely, but not near what she was used to.

"Thank you," Anastasia responded politely with her back to him. Behind her, Sebastian inclined his head.

"Do call if you need anything," Sebastian instructed pleasantly. Anastasia spun on her heel to face him.

"I will," she reassured with a soft smile. Giving yet another closed-eye smile, Sebastian exited the room, closing the door behind him. Anastasia let out a deep breath as she was left alone with her thoughts. The room was silent- as quiet as the dead. Anastasia was exhausted from being up so late and fighting she-demons. Stripping herself of her excess clothing, Anastasia was left in her underthings. Her entire body felt weary from the night, and her mind was screaming for sleep. She laid down on her bed and tried to fall asleep.

Nearly an hour had passed, full of twisting and turning. Turning onto her back, Anastasia sighed. She couldn't fall asleep. It seemed no matter how much her body wanted to rest, her mind just wouldn't allow it. _Ugh…_ Anastasia groaned in her head. _Stupid brain…_ Eventually- at three in the morning- Anastasia reluctantly arose from bed.

The room was dark, the only light coming from the moon outside. Shadows from furniture played tricks on Anastasia's sleep-dulled mind. Taking hold of a white silk robe on the back of the chair, she slipped it on over her nightclothes. Her forehead crinkled when she realized that it definitely hadn't been there when she first tried to go to sleep. _Damn demons._

Sighing to herself, Anastasia tied the sash on her robe as she walked towards the window. The moonlight fell upon her, lighting up her skin. Her faint freckles were visible in the silver light. The view out the window was beautiful. The moon was full and silver, hanging in the sky like an ornament on a Christmas tree. The stars seemed to glow brighter with the light of the moon- speckling the sky with their light. The humans may be asleep, but the sky was certainly awake.

Anastasia spun around as she heard her door creak open. Whirling around, her eyes went straight to the door. It was only open a few centimeters, but it was enough to know that it didn't happen on its own. Softly padding her way to the door, she was about close it when she hesitated. Surely it wouldn't hurt to just step outside? It was such a lovely night…

Opening her door the rest of the way, she winced as the hinges squeaked. Looking warily both ways down the hall, Anastasia softly closed the door behind her. The carpet felt nice on her bare feet, after being used to walking on cold hardwood. And also unlike her apartment, the manor was a reasonable temperature. Her home would always be too hot during the summer and ice-cold during the winter months.

As she walked along, Anastasia had the sneaking feeling that someone was watching her. She rolled her shoulders, doing nothing to relieve the itch between her shoulder blades. Glancing over her shoulder, she was greeted with empty space. Not that she was surprised- she doubted anyone in this haunted manor would be seen in plain sight.

Anastasia hummed an eerie tune as she walked along, one she'd learned when she was quite little. She couldn't quite remember who taught it to her… It wasn't either of her parents, she knew that much.

Finally, Anastasia reached a stairwell that she assumed lead somewhere downstairs. Gently stepping a foot down, she sighed lightly with relief when it didn't creak. Then again, it wouldn't really matter. With two demons in the house, she would bet they would always know where she was, if they wanted to. When Anastasia reached the bottom, she was disappointed to find the stairs merely led to another hallway. She felt her tiredness slowly leave her as she determinedly wandered throughout the maze of halls.

_Come little children, _Anastasia sang the eerie song in her head as she hummed, _I'll take thee away/ Into a land of enchantment. Come little children, The time's come to play/ Here in my garden of shadows. _She was cut off from her song as she entered the front hall.

_Door!_ The thought shot through Anastasia, along with a longing to be outside. Along with the thought, came an unbidden suggestion to run away. Anastasia shook her head, ridding her mind of the thought. There was no way she could leave, even if she tried. As if by a magnet, Anastasia's gaze was once again drawn to the door. _I just want to see the stars…_

Softly, she padded her way to the door. Her bare feet made no sound on the smooth, hardwood floor. Slowly, Anastasia reached out a hand towards the knob. She was so caught up with the thought of freedom that she almost didn't notice the creak in the floorboards behind her. Almost.

Anastasia whipped around at the slight noise, dropping her hand when she saw it was the butler, Sebastian. He arched an eyebrow at her, and Anastasia flushed in embarrassment at how this must look. _He must think I was running away!_, Anastasia growled in her mind. She wasn't- even if she had thought about it.

"Miss Anastasia," Sebastian started, before he was cut off.

"I just wanted to go outside!" Anastasia blurted. Sebastian's forehead wrinkled critically. He obviously didn't believe her. Anastasia deflated at the thought.

"Even so," he said smoothly after a minute, "It's best that you be getting to your room." The last spark of hope that she would be able to go outside disappeared, and Anastasia sighed.

"Of course." Anastasia brushed past him, about to walk back the way she came.

"Miss," Sebastian said, irony heavy in his voice. Anastasia stiffened before turning back around.

"Yes?" Anastasia inquired, her voice grating even to her ears.

"The other way is quicker." Anastasia's brow twitched as the elder demon smirked at her in the dim lighting. She would admit, the flickering shadows fell upon his face rather attractively; but it still wouldn't change the fact hat he made her uneasy.

Turning around again, she went the way he directed, though a bit angrily. As she was walking away, she almost imagined he chuckled behind her. Anastasia quickly made her way back to her room- now not even questioning if there was someone following her. She knew there was.

When Anastasia finally made it to her room, she quickly closed the door behind her. For now- at least- she could pretend like she wasn't trapped in a manor full of demons. God knows it would be worse in the morning… Sighing to herself, she buried her face in her hands as she tried to swallow the lump in her throat. _I did this for Vivianna/It's alright/Remember, for Vivianna/It'll be alright…_ Thoughts whirled around leaving her in the midst of a storm, unable to hold on to anything. In a fit of anger, she smashed a fist against her door, making it rattle in its frame.

_What am I going to do!_ She was alone, forced to leave her only friend to protect her. Who knew what was going to happen next? Collapsing against the door, her body sagged as she realized the implications of what she'd done. She had metaphorically sold her soul to the devil.

Sighing, Anastasia tilted her head back against the door. What was she going to do? Her eyelids lowered as her eyes began to smart. _It was for Vivianna/It'll be alright._ Running a hand over her face, she stood up and stumbled her way towards her bed. As she was about to lay down on the downy comforter, her eyes were drawn towards the balcony window. _Maybe I can't leave the manor, but I can still be by the stars._ Picking up a pillow and wrapping her comforter around her, Anastasia made her way outside to the balcony.

When she unfastened the lock, the cool, night air blew into the room, reviving her from her thoughts. Smiling slightly with sleep, she laid down on the cool stone, protected only by her comforter. The stars were even brighter than they'd appeared inside. Happily, Anastasia laid down to rest. Snuggling down under her blanket, she smiled sleepily at the white moon. The crickets sang through the night- playing the only song they knew- as the stars gleamed up above. Still smiling to herself, Anastasia's eyelids began to close.

_It'll be alright…_ And this time, she believed it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~(A/N)~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry this chapter is so short, I probably should have just tacked it on to the last one instead of making it a separate thing. Oopsies. Oh well, I hope you liked the chapter- please review/follow if you do! (Sorry it took so long, I've had writer's block for some odd reason)

Reviews:

IndigoBlueButterfly: Yay!~~ I'm glad you found it eventually though. I'm really happy that you like it!

MnemosyneMinds: May I just say, your review made my day- thank you so much. I'm glad you think that I'm writing Ciel well (He's a rather difficult character). I've always loved/wanted to write modern day CielXOC, because there's almost none. I've only read approximately three so far. I'm glad you like Anastasia! (I did get her name from the movie, I've always loved it) And don't worry, your English is very good; probably better than many native speakers.

Hopeless-hikari: Yay! I'm really happy that you love it! I know, I hate it when a fic has a good plot but _horrible_ grammar. It's so irritating.

AzTec999: Lol, I'm excited to write Anastasia with Ciel. I feel like they'll have a lot of fun… I'm glad you liked that part- I liked writing it… (Does that make me a bad person?) I hope you liked the chapter.

awesomealixe: Yay, glad you like the fic, hope you like the chapter.

dark shadow400: I did! I'm glad you liked the whole thing with Vivianna &amp; Anastasia.

AliceV: Yay! I hope you liked the chapter!

Scorpia: Ciel is rather a brat, isn't he… I hope you like the chapter!

Esmereilda: Maybe a teensy bit of sarcasm, but it's accurate either way. Hope you liked the chapter!

Tye-Dye Girl: I'm glad you liked that writing style, I'm still learning. Lol, thanks for the jokes/life motto. (I hate moths, they deserve to die). Hope you liked the chapter!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Miss Anastasia!" Anastasia grumbled slightly at the loud voice. Curling up tighter into herself, she buried her face in the feather comforter. Yawning widely, she stretched out her entire body like a cat.

"Yeah?" She asked groggily, beginning to open her eyes. It was _way_ too early…

"Miss Anastasia, you may want to get off the balcony." Her eyes snapped open at his sentence. Bewildered, Anastasia sat straight up and realized that it was Sebastian who'd woken her up. And much to her confusion, she found she was sitting outside on her balcony. _What… How….? _She was bemused for a moment until the memories of last night caught up with her.

Realizing that she was sitting on the floor in front of a demon, Anastasia hastily gathered her comforter around her as she stood up. Groaning slightly, she rubbed her back. The ground hadn't done her any favors. Sebastian watched in amusement as the ex-fortune teller made her way into her new room and collapsed upon her bed. _Ohh…_ The bed was ridiculously comfortable after sleeping on the ground all night. Wrapping herself tighter in her cocoon of blankets, she laid on her side, about to fall asleep yet again.

"May I ask why you were sleeping outside?" Sebastian inquired, quirking an eyebrow towards the young woman currently lying in a blanket burrito on the mattress.

"I-" Anastasia was cut off by a yawn, "Wanted to see the stars," she muttered, rolling over onto her other side. _So comfortable…_ Maybe she could just go to sleep. Sebastian cleared his throat.

"Miss Anastasia," Sebastian said politely again, jolting her from her slumber.

"Yes?" She asked irritably. Why couldn't he just let her sleep? Her discomfort with demons seemed to be momentarily forgotten in favor of sleep.

"The young master wishes to see you," Sebastian replied with a hint of amusement in his voice. Anastasia grumbled even louder, hiding under the covers from him.

"Tell Ciel to go fuck himself up the ass," Anastasia mumbled, drowsy with sleep. Sebastian coughed from out of her view, and she almost imagined it was covering up a laugh.

"Well- my lady- I don't have to," Sebastian answered, a grin evident in his voice. Anastasia cracked open her eyes and peeked out from under the covers. She froze as her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. Ciel was standing in the doorway with an eyebrow arched. He did not look pleased. _Shit._

Anastasia propelled herself out of bed as all drowsiness left her. Rushing away from Ciel, she hid herself behind the elder demon. Sebastian allowed her, keeping an amused smile on his face.

"I'm sorry!" Anastasia bit out quickly. She may not like Ciel- or have any wish to apologize to him- but she wanted to live. And right now, her chances were not looking good. After a moment of glaring murderously at her, Ciel sighed and brushed his hair away from his face.

"Meet me down in the foyer once you're dressed," he commanded, "We're going to London." His tone left no room for argument. Turning on his heel, Ciel left with his back straight. Anastasia's mouth opened at his words, staring after him in rage.

"Ugh!" Anastasia exclaimed, spinning around, "_That little shit!_" She spat out in French. Sebastian chuckled from where he was stood and Anastasia flushed. _He can understand French can't he… Oops._

"You have quite the mouth on you, don't you?" Sebastian inquired, arching an eyebrow. Anastasia flushed slightly, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"Only when I'm tired," she muttered, gathering up her clothing that she left on the floor the night before. Sebastian chuckled at her and she straightened up, dumping her clothes on her bed.

"You should get dressed," Sebastian commented, eyeing her up and down. Anastasia looked down at herself and began to grow warm with embarrassment. She was still in her underthings.

"Right…" Anastasia said awkwardly, wrapping her arms around her as if to protect her. "Do you happen to know where some clothes that might fit me would be? I don't really want to wear these." She gestured at the dirty, blood-soaked, torn rags from the night before. She had a feeling that she would not be allowed in public wearing that. Sebastian nodded.

"Of course," he said, gesturing towards a door to the side of him. Resisting the urge to smack herself in the face for her stupidity, Anastasia strode toward the door and opened it. The closet was filled with clothes- none of which she was particularly used to, but she would have to make do. It wasn't as if it was all from Victorian England, but none of it was especially modern. Then again, Anastasia usually wore long skirts so she would be able to survive. Sighing, Anastasia took out a simple, navy dress that looked like it belonged in the fifties. For how terrible the time period was with sexism and misandry, they did have cute clothes. Casting an eye around the closet, she could see clothes from all the way back to Victorian England. Why Ciel had women's clothing from all over the past two centuries, Anastasia didn't know. Nor did she want to.

Exiting the closet, dressed in her new outfit, Anastasia looked at Sebastian.

"Could you possibly direct me to a bathroom?" She inquired, her back as straight as an arrow. As much as she wanted to take a long bath to wash off last night, she would have to settle for properly washing her face. Sebastian nodded.

"Of course," he said, leaving the room. Quickly, Anastasia took the Bluemoon diamond necklace out of the torn dress and shoved it in her pocket before stiffly following him. "Here you are," Sebastian said smoothly, leading her to a door with a brass doorknob. Opening it, Anastasia walked inside and closed the door behind her. While it was old fashioned looking, it was renovated with modern appliances. Ciel had obviously been trying to stay with his roots with his home, while still keeping up with the century. _It must be hard for him…_ Anastasia felt a brief moment of compassion for the demon who was holding her prisoner in his home. Well, was it even a prisoner if she bargained for this? Admittedly, she'd been under stress and fear, but she had chosen this nevertheless. She supposed it _was_ her fault.

Sighing, Anastasia quickly washed her face with a washcloth, almost moaning with how good it felt for at least part of her to be clean. Last night, she hadn't wanted to ask where the bathroom was- she'd been too afraid and hadn't wanted to see anyone. She'd had to make due with wiping as much dirt and grime off as she could and putting her hair up. Looking in the mirror, she could tell that was a mistake. She looked awful. But, she swore to herself that she would take a long, hot bath as soon as she did whatever Ciel wanted.

Exiting the bathroom, she turned to Sebastian who had been waiting politely for her.

"Are you prepared for your outing?" Sebastian inquired politely. Anastasia snorted slightly.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she muttered. Sebastian smirked at that, curving his lips.

"This way, Miss Anastasia," he directed, leading her towards the foyer. She obediently followed him, taking the opportunity to look around at the manor in daylight. Not many of the doors were open, but the ones that were led to seemingly meaningless rooms. Most of them were empty of almost everything.

Once they were in the foyer, Sebastian departed, leaving her alone with Ciel. She tensed as he arched an eyebrow from his place by the door.

"You took quite a while," Ciel commented. Anastasia's gaze sharpened.

"Forgive me for wanting to rid myself of all that grime and blood," she snapped at him. Ciel gave a small sound of what she could imagine was amusement.

"Fair enough," he sighed before turning around and opening the door. "Follow me," he ordered. Anastasia's jaw tightened as she reluctantly obeyed. _That little brat._ He was far too cocky.

"Where are we going?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest protectively. Ciel glanced at her.

"To London," he answered, "I thought you would appreciate the chance to get your things." Truth be told, she hadn't even thought about it. But as he spoke, she slowly unraveled and uncrossed her arms.

"Oh." That was all she could say. She hadn't expected this, to say the least. Ciel arched an eyebrow at her before shaking his head at her strange behavior. Anastasia shook her head, as if to rid herself of her thoughts.

"I assume we're not going to use normal transportation?" Anastasia sighed, phrasing it as a question even though she already knew the answer. Ciel nodded, smirking.

"Of course." Anastasia mentally groaned, she hated this! Reluctantly, she moved over to him. He wrapped his arms around her and then lifted her with ease. Seemingly effortlessly, Ciel began running at an inhuman pace towards London. Anastasia clung tightly to him, terrified of what would happen if he let go.

Soon, however, they reached her flat in London. Releasing him immediately, Anastasia almost cried with relief when she was back on firm ground.

"I'm still not going to ask how you know where I live," Anastasia commented to Ciel before walking in her flat. Walking in, she breathed in the scent of the place that had been her home for the past several years. It felt like centuries since she'd last been in here, rather than just a day. Then again, a lot had happened in that one day. Ciel followed after her silently, allowing her this. What 'this' was exactly, Anastasia didn't know yet.

"Right then!" Anastasia said, clapping her hands as she gazed around her apartment. "First things first." She started with her bedroom, gathering up all her clothes. She didn't include most of the things she wore to work, save for the skirts. Anastasia _loved_ all her skirts. She hummed as she packed, trying to make the work last. For a while, at least, she could pretend like she was just moving- and not to live with a demonic creature. Sighing, Anastasia let out a breath as she packed.

When she was done with her clothing, she began gathering up everything of extreme importance to her. First, she got all of her jewelry that she kept in a silk box. Most of it was from her mother- part of the little she had of her. Standing up, she put it in her bag before gazing around the room._ What else…?_ There was precious little she valued in her flat- besides her books, of course. Anastasia wrinkled her brow as she surveyed her room. What did she want? After rummaging through her drawers, she chose a sketchbook that she'd had for a long time, a pillow sewn by Vivianna, and her childhood blanket. Her blanket was little more than a rag now, but she still had trouble falling asleep without it. At last moment, she shoved her journal in her bag. She had a feeling she would have a lot to write about in days to come.

Casting one last look around her bedroom, she flicked off the light and shut the door behind her. As Anastasia walked in her living room, she felt a laugh bubbling in her throat. She did not find Ciel where she'd left him by the door, but instead in her library corner, reading a book. He didn't look up as she entered, too engrossed it the story. Anastasia could see he was already more than halfway through the rather thick novel. _Do demons read quicker too?_ It wouldn't surprise her. Anastasia cleared her throat, shaking Ciel from the holds of his book.

"Yes?" He inquired, closing the book just for the moment. Anastasia looked at him amusedly.

"What are you reading?" Anastasia asked curiously.

"_Die 13½ Leben des Käpt'n Blaubär,_" Ciel answered, looking at the cover. Anastasia's eyebrows shot up.

"You understand German?" She questioned, surprised. Though she shouldn't have been, he _was_ a demon. And apparently with that came being good at everything. Ciel nodded in confirmation.

"It's quite good," he admitted, "I wasn't sure it would be at first." Anastasia gave a noncommittal jerk of her head before going over to her book corner.

In the corner of her cramped living room, she'd made room for a small library. There was where she put all of her books that weren't in the shop. Most of her fiction books were here. Going immediately to the bottom right corner of the bookshelf, Anastasia took out a stack of worn, old books.

"What are those?" Ciel inquired as she carefully selected them. Anastasia paused in her sorting before turning to him.

"They were my mother's," she answered, her eyes misting over. Ciel stayed silent and she continued. "She used to read them to me before bed every night." _But that was a very long time ago_. Anastasia shook her head, clearing her thoughts. _No use dwelling on the past. _Standing up with her books, she dusted off her dress.

"Was she French?" Ciel inquired, eyeing the books that she was holding. Many of them were not in English, but in French or Russian. Anastasia nodded.

"She was half French, half Russian," she spoke up, "She taught me how to speak in both of them." Her mother had been an intelligent woman, one capable of almost anything. "When I was little, she would always tell me stories about her parents, and all the places she visited." Her voice became soft when she spoke about her mother. Ciel looked at her quietly.

"She sounds like a wonderful woman," Ciel commented. Anastasia looked up at him in shock. After a moment, the expression softened to a ghost of a smile.

"Thank you. She was." Her eyes were downcast as she struggled to remember her. By now, she couldn't remember her voice. _Bright auburn hair, always cheerful- always kind._ Her father had been better back then too.

"Anyway," Anastasia interrupted her pity party, clapping her hands together. "You, hold these," she directed Ciel, giving him her precious books. He took them obediently- albeit grudgingly. Moving to the kitchen, Anastasia took out her favorite teacup. She doubted she would be cooking any, so she didn't bring any of that along. Exiting the kitchen, she was amused to find Ciel exactly where she left him, but with a disgruntled expression on his face.

"Are you only going to take these books?" Ciel asked, hefting them up slightly. Anastasia nodded regretfully.

"I would love to take all of them," she sighed, "But that's not feasible." Ciel arched an eyebrow.

"Why not?" He asked. Anastasia balked at him.

"Wouldn't it be a bit difficult to get them all to the manor?" She inquired carefully. Ciel rolled his eyes, leaning against her wall.

"Of course not- I was planning on having Sebastian get all of yours from the shop, anyway," he answered, snorting ungracefully. Anastasia brightened.

"Really?" She asked excitedly, stepping joyfully toward him. She may be in an unfamiliar place, but she would have her books! Ciel arched an eyebrow.

"Of course," he answered plainly, "I wouldn't want to deprive you of your one joy, would I?" _…Yes…_ Well, in her defense, that _is_ what demons are supposed to do, correct? Apparently not in this case.

"Thank you," she said with a real smile this time. Ciel gazed at her confusedly, as if wondering why she was thanking him. Soon afterwards, he nodded in welcome.

"Of course," he answered, a slight smile lifting his mouth. "Now, let's get back to the manor." Hoisting her bag higher on her shoulder, Anastasia willingly went to Ciel. Once again, she felt his arms wrap around her and then there was wind on her face. As Anastasia burrowed her face into Ciel to avoid the wind, she missed the conflicted glint that was in his lone eye.

~~~~~~~~~~~~(A/N)~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello everyone, thank you all for being so patient. I'm so sorry that this took forever. But, since school is almost over for me- I'll hopefully be able to update more often! (Don't quote me on that).

Notes: The German book mentioned is called The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear. It's a very good book- very popular in Germany and the UK, but not so much in the U.S., unfortunately. I would read it, if I were you!

**Reviews:**

LaughterLover98: I'm so glad you like it &amp; my portrayal of Ciel! I'm really glad you like Anastasia, too. I would answer your question, but that'd be giving away too much! You'll just have to wait and see…

MnemosyneMinds: I'm sorry the chapter was so short, but thank you for your kind review! It made my day. I hope you liked the chapter!

S-Lioness: Thank you for all your reviews, btw! I'm glad you like the idea for this fic. (And don't worry, Alois is dead- if I can manage to keep him that way, is the problem)

Esmereilda: Kind of ironic, no?

Scorpia1029: He is, isn't he? However much I love Sebastian, he can be an ass sometimes.

Percythecat: Yay! Thank you so much, I'm really glad you like all my characters &amp; their portrayals!

AliceV: Thank you, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Please R&amp;R!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The manor was gigantic, Anastasia knew that just from walking around. But she had underestimated just _how_ big it was. It would be easy just to get lost on one of the floors. But even knowing this, Anastasia wanted to explore and get to know the place she would now be living. Her room was nice and all- especially now that she had all of her books- but she wanted to see the other rooms. Besides, she had always wanted to live in a mansion. Now was her chance to finally see one!

Walking over to her door, Anastasia hesitated. _What if I get lost?_ At the last moment, she grabbed a spool of thread she had out when she was repairing a skirt that had a rip in it. Tying the scarlet thread to her doorknob, Anastasia took the spool in her hand and let it out behind her as she walked. A slight grin lit her lips at her new found freedom.

Pausing where the hallway split off, Anastasia's brow wrinkled as she contemplated which way to go. Eventually, she decided left- it looked more interesting. Cautiously, she walked slowly, allowing the thread to unwind behind her. The first two doors she came upon were locked. She scowled at the fact.

"Fine," she grumbled, moving on to the next door. This one was open. Cautiously, she opened the door to reveal a surprisingly clean room. _Sebastian must clean in here…_ she thought. Walking in, she threw the curtains open so she could see better. The room must have been a guest bedroom, because there was a medium-sized bed in the center and a large wardrobe. Walking over to the wardrobe, she opened it and was disappointed to find it empty.

Seeing there was nothing of interest in that room, Anastasia moved onto the next one. She didn't find anything of value in the next three rooms. Going into the next one, her gaze alighted on a small chest at the end of the bed. Setting her thread on the floor next to her, Anastasia went through the chest. In it, she found a pretty lace handkerchief. It was almost perfect, save for a tiny brown stain on it. She also found a _very_ old copy of the bible. Anastasia snorted when she saw it. _How ironic._ She placed it to the side, continuing to dig in the chest.

By the end, she had a small pile of treasures. These included a (probably lead) painted toy top, a paper fan that Anastasia feared would disintegrate in her hands, and a gold stub that belonged to a circus ticket.

"Cool," Anastasia whispered to herself in a hushed tone. She didn't know why she was being so quiet- but it was so silent in the room, that it felt wrong to make noise. Quietly putting everything back they way she had found it, Anastasia picked up her thread and exited the room. Trying the next door, she scowled when it was locked. _Damn_, she thought and then tried the next door. _Open!_ Anastasia went in and noticed an immediate difference from all the other rooms. For one, this one was much more spacious and had a lot more furniture. But what captured her attention was a portrait on the wall.

Anastasia moved into the room, the floorboards remaining not creaking- even under her weight. She moved silently to look curiously at the painting. It was an old painting, that much she knew immediately. It was beautifully painted, portraying a woman with red hair, sitting next to a raven-haired man. Anastasia's brow wrinkled, she recognized them from Ciel's memories, but there was still too much to sort through. She couldn't summon the knowledge of who they were. Tilting her head, Anastasia continued scrutinizing the painting.

The woman was holding a baby, wrapped in a blue blanket. Curiously, Anastasia trailed her fingers down the frame, pausing when she got to the inscription at the bottom. _The Phantomhives, 1876._ Anastasia's eyes widened as realization shot through her. … _This is Ciel and his parents…_ It was strange to see him as an infant- innocent and unknowing. It was so far from what she'd learnt of him so far, that she almost refused to believe it. But from what little she could get from her stolen memories, she knew that Ciel had once been kind. Good. Innocent. But that changed when he turned ten and was taken by the cult.

Anastasia moaned as she held her head, grimacing. Purple spots danced in her vision as she unconsciously dug through Ciel's life. There was still _so_ much to sort through. Usually, when she read someone's mind like that, she held onto the basics of their life for maybe a few hours- usually less. But with Ciel's mind, it was as if her mind refused to process it, or make it go away. Perhaps it was because he wasn't human, perhaps it was because he lived for so long that her mind couldn't deal with it. But either way, it was stuck in her head- unable to leave or be understood. It was driving her crazy, and it was affecting her sleep.

Blinking rapidly, Anastasia forced her head to clear as she rubbed her temples. Shaking her head, she left that room after grabbing her thread. She didn't want to be in there any longer, or find out what was in there.

The next few rooms she visited were empty- but on the forth, she found something she didn't expect. Anastasia's brow wrinkled as she opened the draw at the bottom of the wardrobe, only to find a crumpled pink dress. Gently pulling it out, Anastasia studied it as she held it up to the light.

It was a very pretty dress, decorated with black and white ribbons. Tilting her head, she looked at it confusedly. _Why was this just shoved in the wardrobe?_ And not even hung up, why was it just crumpled in a drawer? Holding it up to her, Anastasia was disappointed to find that it was much too small. It looked like it had been meant for a thirteen year old girl. Shrugging, Anastasia carefully folded it and put it back. She was gentle with the silk fabric, not wanting to ruin it- even if the previous owner had obviously hated it.

Closing that door, Anastasia went on down the hallway. Her scarlet thread danced behind her as she walked onwards. Her skirt swished around her ankles. Pausing at the door at the end of the hallway, Anastasia cautiously opened it. Her eyes widened when she found a large ballroom. Setting her thread on a nearby table, Anastasia walked fully into the room.

"Wow…" She breathed. _This is amazing!_ The room was huge; she felt dwarfed by its size. The walls were painted with gold and the cream curtains over the tall windows were thrown back. The light streamed into the room, making dust motes dance. It seemed that this room was the only room that wasn't cleaned regularly. Though, it was still cleaner than if it had gone without cleaning for two hundred years- but it was obvious that nobody went in here. As Anastasia gazed around the room, she wondered why.

Wandering around the giant room, Anastasia jumped when she bumped against a hard shape. It made a clanging sound, and Anastasia rushed to steady it. When she did, she noticed it was a phonograph. It came almost up to her chest, since it was sitting on a table. Her eyes slid over to the black record that was still in it. Her breath caught in her chest.

_What are you doing?_ She thought as her fingers slid across the dusty, wooden surface. _It probably won't even work._ That didn't stop her wandering fingers. She had a vague idea as how to work it; her mother had had something similar. _And even if it does, it's probably out of tune from disuse. _But none of that made a difference as she started it. Anastasia jumped as the contraption made a horrible squeaking noise. She wilted in disappointment, sure it wouldn't work. As silence pervaded the huge room, Anastasia turned around to leave.

Just as she was about to step out the door, music began to play. It was scratchy at first, but the quality slowly got better. A smile spread across Anastasia's lips. Turning around, she walked to the middle of the room. Sure, she didn't have the right sort of shoes for this, but who cared? She could still dance if she wanted to, no matter the sort of footwear. Placing her feet into fifth position, she began to dance.

_Chassé, chassé, pirouette. Pas de Bourrée, sissonne, sissonne, turn._ As she leaped and spun, she could feel her mother's lessons coming back to her. _Pirouette._ One. Two. Three. She stumbled on the landing, but recovered nicely. It had been a while since she had danced. Her mother- being both French _and_ Russian- had plenty love for ballet, and she had taught her only daughter all that she knew.

Anastasia halted in her movements as the music ran out, finishing in a second arabesque with her head to the side. She jumped as she heard the sound of clapping behind her. Abruptly jumping out of position, she whirled around with frightened eyes to face whoever was at the door. It was Ciel. She looked bemusedly at him, too confused to be angry.

"Why are you here?" She demanded. Ciel arched an eyebrow.

"It _is_ my manor," he said dryly. Anastasia glared at him.

"You know what I meant," she snapped. Ciel looked at her amusedly, pulling out her scarlet thread from his pocket. It was would all wound up- meaning that her trail leading her back to her room was gone. She scowled at the fact. _Now I can't get back to my room without him._ Knowing Ciel, that's probably what he wanted.

"You know," he commented, twirling around the spool in his hand, "You should _really_ learn your way around the manor so you don't have to rely on this." Anastasia scowled at him. She stalked over to him and attempted to snatch the thread out of his hands, but he merely held it above her head. She glared at him- not noticing their close proximity.

"Ah, ah, ah," Ciel taunted with a wide grin. Anastasia's eyes went dangerously bright. She growled at him, but refused to resort to jumping. Ciel's grin widened as he chuckled.

"Anyway," Ciel continued, pocketing the spool of scarlet thread. He pushed Anastasia so she was no longer bumping up against his chest. "I didn't know you could dance," he said conversationally. Anastasia's glare softened as she sighed.

"That's probably because every time you talk to me, it's to threaten me," she snapped. Ciel arched an eyebrow and nodded, as if she had a point.

"Touché," Ciel replied with a slight smirk. He took a step closer to her. "Did your mother teach you?" A note of curiosity entered his tone. Anastasia stiffened at his words.

"What makes you say that?" She questioned guardedly. Ciel smirked, already having his answer by her body language.

"It seems like something that someone who's both French and Russian would both know and love," he answered conversationally. Anastasia's posture relaxed as she let her guard slip a little.

"It was," she answered. Ciel's smirk told her that he already knew. They sat in silence for several minutes as Anastasia went over to the phonograph and fiddled with it.

"Do you dance?" She asked after a moment. Ciel looked shocked by her question, but he recovered momentarily.

"Why?" He asked with a smirk, "Are you offering?" Anastasia snorted ungracefully.

"Not in any sense of the word," she retorted. Ciel chuckled at her response.

"Follow me," he ordered with a toss of his head. He started heading out the door. Anastasia hesitated at first, not wanting to follow the demon who brought her here- but ultimately decided to follow him because he had her thread. There was no way she could remember the way back. Huffing, she jogged to catch up- making up for the difference in stride length. His legs were much longer than hers, even when she was wearing heels- which she wasn't at the moment.

"Wait!" Anastasia called after him. Ciel turned his head to her, arching an eyebrow. "Where are we going?" She questioned as she caught up to him.

"You'll find out," Ciel answered cryptically as he continued walking. Anastasia looked at him suspiciously. _…He's not going to take me to a dungeon, right?_ Ciel chuckled when she voiced her question.

"No," he reassured laughingly, "I'm not taking you to a dungeon. Why do you even think I have one?" Anastasia's eyes widened in earnest.

"It's a reasonable concern!" Anastasia protested. "Besides, I wouldn't be surprised if you did!" Ciel laughed, a real laugh. _That's the first time I've actually heard him laugh._ She relaxed slightly, but continued watching Ciel suspiciously. She continued following him until he abruptly halted at a large wooden door. Stepping to the side, Ciel gestured at her to open it. Anastasia scrutinized him suspiciously, wary of what could be behind the solid, oak panels. Eventually, though, her curiosity got the better of her. Slowly touching the smooth, carved wood of the door, she opened it to find a magnificent sight inside. It was a library. But not just any library. The closest approximation she could think of was the library from 'Beauty and the Beast'. It was gorgeous.

Stepping inside in wonder, her hand left the door as she gazed around the high ceilings. Ciel followed in after her, gazing at her. Not noticing him, Anastasia whirled around, trying to see all the books. Shelves went up tall walls, and huge windows let in golden rays of light. It was beautiful, yet cozy- with armchairs and tables tucked away in small niches. It was wonderful.

"You…" Anastasia began, unable to form a coherent sentence, "You have a library," she managed to get out. Ciel arched an eyebrow.

"Yes," he answered dryly, "I thought that would be a bit obvious." Anastasia let out a dry laugh.

"This is amazing," she breathed, shaking her head in wonder. Ciel's lips quirked up into a slight smile at the sight of the girl in front of him. Caught up in the wonders of the library, Anastasia didn't notice. Eventually, she forced her gaze away and looked at Ciel.

"Why did you bring me here?" She questioned curiously. It hardly seemed in character for the navy-haired demon. Ciel arched an eyebrow.

"Do I have to have a reason for everything?" He asked. Anastasia gave him a look.

"Yes," she answered bluntly. Ciel chuckled.

"I just thought you'd appreciate it since you love books so much," he answered after he finished laughing. Anastasia tilted her head back, looking at him suspiciously.

"… Really…?" Anastasia asked slowly, not believing him. Ciel looked directly at her, keeping eye contact. Taking a few, slow steps towards her, he answered her honestly. Well, as honestly as a demon could, anyway.

"Yes. Nothing more, nothing less." Anastasia's gaze softened as she relaxed.

"Well then," she cleared her throat, "I think you should show me around." She smiled at him as she took his arm. She may not have liked the demon much, but he did seem to at least care a _little_. Besides, he took her to an enormous library- that was more than enough for now. Ciel recoiled at the gesture- shocked, but she didn't seem to notice. After a moment, though- he relaxed at the gesture and started to show her around. Through the next several hours, both Anastasia and Ciel read through many books- though the former collected many more.

By evening, they were sitting in chairs opposite each other, relaxed in one another's company. Glancing up from her book, Anastasia's gaze settled on the demon sitting in a cozy armchair with a cup of hot chocolate, looking more relaxed than she'd even seen him. Her gaze softened as she gazed upon him, and she thought- if only for a second- that just maybe… maybe demons weren't _completely_ bad. But it wasn't as if she would ever admit it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(A/N)~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey, I updated within a reasonable amount of time! Hurray! Hope you liked the chapter.

**Reviews:**

S-Lioness: Claude does want her for a similar reason as Ciel, but he also wants something else… (Have to wait in see, my apologies!) I'm glad you liked the chapter, and I get that feeling too- I think she and Sebastian will get along fantastically. Well, maybe not in the beginning.

Scorpia1029:I'm glad you liked the chapter- and how she cussed him out! (I enjoyed writing it) Sebastian is enjoying this, isn't he?

Esmereilda: At least that, better than she probably expected.

Tye-Dye Girl: Lol, I loved writing that part- and apparently you guys liked reading it! I just thought it was funny for Anastasia to have no filter in the mornings. I'm glad you liked the chapter- hope this one fulfills your expectations!

Please R&amp;R


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Anastasia shut her book before irritatedly putting it back on the shelf. It was almost mid afternoon and she'd exhausted every resource of entertainment. Well, at least any that actually entertained her. For the first time in a long time, Anastasia didn't want to read. She had only made about ten pages into any of the books she'd tried reading. _Nothing_ was working. To put it simply, Anastasia was having a fussy day.

Do you know those days where you just can't decide _what_ you want to do, or _what _you want to eat, or _what_ you want to wear? Just that one day that it seems _nothing_ could go correctly? Yeah, that's a fussy day. And as Anastasia knew very well, they were no fun.

Sighing to herself, Anastasia rolled over onto her stomach with a loud groan. Taking her pillow from the head of her bed, she slammed it over her head. She _hated_ days like these. Anastasia wasn't a particularly high-maintenance person- in fact she would go as far as to say she was quite low-maintenance- but she had these days occasionally. And she _detested_ them. Standing up in one fluid motion, she got off her bed and tossed the pillow into the corner of her room. _What to do, what to do…_ She could always go find Ciel or Sebastian? The demon butler had grown on her in the past couple of weeks. She still didn't fully trust either of them, but considering they were demons, that might be smart decision. _No, what else?_ Her brow wrinkled in thought.

_I could explore the manor?_ Anastasia pondered on it for a moment before shaking her head. _No…_ She didn't even have an explanation for it, she just didn't want to. Anastasia walked over to the window, banging her head on the glass.

"UGH!" She groaned in frustration. Even she hated herself on these days. Opening her eyes, her gaze lit upon the nearby lake. As soon as she saw it, the idea took. The lake was just on the side of the manor, surely Ciel wouldn't mind… Anastasia made a slight grimace, imaging what he might say if she asked before hand. _Well… Maybe it'd be better to beg forgiveness than ask permission in this one instance._ After all, this was the first thing that sparked her interest all day. Besides, she doubted Ciel would want her to bother him with this. (Though she knew that this was just an excuse).

With a smile lit up on her face, Anastasia burst out of her room. She didn't change- considering she didn't even _have_ a swimsuit- but she figured she could just go in with what she was wearing. It was just a plain, cream colored skirt and blouse- nothing she was overly fond of. She strode swiftly through the maze-like mess of hallways after slipping off her pair of flats. She- fortunately- didn't run into anyone. Bursting through the door, she took in a deep breath when she reached outside. It was a warm day- at least for England- and it would've been uncomfortable had she not been planning to go swimming.

Anastasia started sprinting towards the dock, her bare feet slapping on the grass covered ground. The sun warmed her back as she made it to the dock. Stripping off her over blouse so it wouldn't get wet, she dumped it on the wooden deck. Testing the waters with her foot, she found them pleasantly cool. With a huge grin, Anastasia got a running start and dived into the lake waters.

The lake was devoid of most life. Anastasia smiled as she saw some passing fish rushing away from her. She stayed like that, under the water, until she felt the familiar tugging in her chest. Breaking the surface of the crystal blue water, she gasped for breath. Once she took in a deep lungful of much-needed air, Anastasia started swimming around the dock, practicing. It had been a long time since she had last swam. It wasn't like she was an expert or anything- that was Vivianna- but she had always enjoyed it.

After swimming for about an hour, Anastasia was content to just lay on her back in the water, staring up at the sky. The late afternoon sun burned scarlet against the cerulean blue of the sky. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to drift with the gentle waves, not really going anywhere. _It's so peaceful…_

"I didn't expect to find you out here." Anastasia's eyes snapped open at the dry voice. Ciel was standing with his hands clasped behind his back at the dock. He was looking on at her in amusement.

"I could say the same for you," she retorted with a quirk of her eyebrow. She was lacking her usual irritation that came along with seeing him, though that may have just been because he'd shown her the library. _After all, he didn't really _need_ to._ But he did, which was a fact Anastasia still didn't fully understand. Ciel chuckled.

"I suppose," he sighed as he sat down on the edge of the dock, his legs dangling over the edge, but not touching the water. Anastasia swam over to him, her legs moving under her as she tread water.

"Why are you down here?" She questioned curiously with a tilt of her head. Anastasia rested her arms on the edge of the dock. Ciel inhaled deeply, taking a deep breath.

"I come down here occasionally," he confessed, "I find it peaceful." Anastasia let a soft smile grace her lips.

"A demon wanting peace?" Anastasia asked wryly. _How ironic._ Even if she was feeling benevolent towards Ciel at the moment, didn't mean she forgave Ciel for terrifying her for months. Ciel chuckled humorlessly, his eyes distant. He sat in silence for several moments, making Anastasia shift uncomfortably in the water.

"I wasn't always like this, you know," he commented. His voice carried a hint of bitterness and regret. Anastasia felt her features soften as she gazed at him.

"I know," she said simply. They both knew that she knew a great part of his story from that fateful day in the shop. Of course, she didn't know everything as the information refused to be processed and gotten rid of, but she knew enough. She knew that he was human when younger, but had been turned demon later in life after he contracted Sebastian. _How_ exactly, she didn't know.

"For what it is worth," Anastasia started carefully, "I _am_ sorry for what happened to you." Ciel looked down at her.

"I do not need your pity," he spat, his fist clenching. He moved as if to get up. Before he could move to standing position, Anastasia caught his wrist. His eyes widened in surprise at the slight contact.

"Do not misunderstand me," she said quietly, "I would not do such disservice to you as to pity you." Ciel hesitated for a moment at her words, before quietly sitting back down on the wooden dock. Anastasia released his wrist, as if burned. Placing her hands sure on the old, wood deck, she hefted herself onto it and sat beside him. The deck was getting old, and looked like it was going to fall apart. Lying down on the wooden dock, she stretched like a contented cat as the sun's rays began to warm her. Feeling slightly drowsy, she closed her eyes.

"Why are you down here?" Ciel inquired, arching an eyebrow at her. Cracking an eye open, she glanced at him. Sighing, she sat up again, propping herself up with her arms.

"I was bored," she answered, giving a noncommittal jerk of the head. She shivered slightly as a cool breeze passed over them, cooling her soaking wet clothes. Ciel arched an eyebrow.

"So you decided to come down here…" His voice was laced with skepticism. Anastasia scowled at him.

"_Yes_," she retorted, suppressing another shiver, "I thought it looked like fun." Feeling another shiver coming on, Anastasia stood up to retrieve her blouse. The wet fabric clung to her skin, making it difficult to walk. Picking it up, Anastasia started to use it to blot at her arms, drying them off. Turning around, she was surprised to find Ciel standing up. Giving him a strange look, she tilted her head slightly.

"What?" She asked curiously, wringing out her hair. Ciel didn't answer, but got a mischievous look on his face. As she walked past, he took her and threw her into the waiting lake. Her scream of shock split through the air as a resounding splash occurred. _Oh no he didn't…_ Feeling the hot glow of anger rushing through her veins, she looked upwards towards the surface as she sank downwards. Once she reached the bottom, she pushed off the lake floor and broke the surface, before glaring at a chuckling Ciel.

"You bastard!" She accused. Her only answer was his chuckles increasing to full-blown laughter. It wasn't mocking laughter, but _actual_ laughter- which she wasn't used to from him. Still, that wasn't going to stop her from getting her revenge. Her glare sharpening, Anastasia swam her way towards the dock where Ciel was with a deadly look in her eye. Taking advantage of his distraction, she took his ankle and yanked him into the water. Ciel may have super strength, but his weight was of a normal human. She smirk as he began to topple over. His eyes widened right before he fell with a splash into the lake.

Anastasia laughed- that was, until, Ciel emerged from the waters with a death glare on his face. Any trace of a smile was wiped away to be replaced with a look of apprehension. _… Uh-oh…_ Perhaps she _shouldn't _have done that… At least, not to a demon who could make her pay. Her eyes wide, Anastasia turned quickly in the water and started to swim urgently towards the dock. Needless to say, she didn't make it far.

Her eyes widened to astronomical proportions when she felt a tight grip around her ankle drag her underwater. Thrashing against the grip as it dragged her down, she panicked- bubbles escaping her lips. Soon, however, the hand released her and allowed her to break the surface of the lake for air. Finally emerging from the lake, Anastasia panted, trying to regain lost breath. Soon after, Ciel broke the surface, his hair plastered against his forehead.

"That…" Anastasia started in between gasps of breath, "Was uncalled for." Ciel arched an eyebrow, smirking mischievously.

"I don't think it was," he commented blandly. Anastasia pinned a glare on him. She opened her mouth to retort, but snapped it shut, thinking better of it. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she tried again.

"There, you got your revenge- we're even," Anastasia grumbled, "Happy?" Ciel grinned.

"Perhaps," he said casually, sweeping his hair off to the side. Relaxing slightly, Anastasia let out a deep breath before floating on her back. Laying almost boneless in the sun, she let the waves gently drift her from the shore. As a hand grasped her ankle, Anastasia jolted, kicking under instinct. Ciel caught her other ankle before it could hit him in the face.

"It's just me," Ciel reassured. Anastasia lowered her foot back into the water and Ciel released her. But he continued to keep hold of her right ankle.

"What are you doing?" Anastasia murmured after a moment when he still refused to release her.

"Just making sure you don't drift away," Ciel answered. Anastasia still had a confused expression on her face, but she didn't say anything else. Laying stiffly in the water, Anastasia continued looking up at the sky, thinking. _… Why is he doing this?_ She resisted the urge ask again and just lay there. After another minute, Anastasia jolted when Ciel started tracing circles on ankle. Flinching, she lifted up her head to look at him with a bemused expression.

"You were uncomfortable," Ciel explained. His answer did nothing to assuage her confusion. Staring down at his grasp on her ankle, she noticed how his black nails glinted in the sun. The nails weren't painted- surprisingly- but she couldn't see any white edges.

"You're being oddly nice. Why?" Anastasia asked suspiciously. Ciel looked up at her, quirking an eyebrow.

"I'm always nice," Ciel responded dryly. Anastasia snorted.

"Yeah, right," she said, rolling her eyes. Ciel smirked slightly.

"What?" He asked innocently, "You don't believe me?" Anastasia felt a grin tug on her lips.

"You could say that," she said drowsily, her eyes beginning to close once more. The sun was just so warm, and the water so cool, that she couldn't help but relax. They lay like that for about a half an hour before Anastasia swam over to the dock, and heaved herself up. Water ran in rivulets down her skin, but she ignored them as Ciel swam after her.

"Come on, demon boy," Anastasia said with a soft smile, "Time to go back to the manor." There was no malice in her voice, a fact that greatly confused Ciel. Ciel heaved himself out of the water, and Anastasia chose not to notice how attractive he looked when he did so. Turning around with her cheeks burning, Anastasia swiped her blouse off of the ground. Wrapping it around her shoulders, she shivered as she turned around. She hoped that her distinct blush was gone.

"Come on," she said with a smile, gesturing with her hands. Turning her back, she started to make her way through the overgrown grass back to the manor. Ciel stood at the dock for a moment, staring after him in confusion. After all, it wasn't every day a demon was accepted by a human. And that was apparently what just happened.

Shaking his head to rid himself of such thoughts, Ciel raced to catch up with his guest.

Anastasia could sense when he was behind her, his pace settling from the speed of light to a slow stride. His feet made no sound on the green grass besides a soft rustling. Anastasia trampled through the fields of grass and walked up the steps to the front door. Before she could open it, Ciel caught her wrist. Anastasia jumped slightly, startled, but a slight smile grew on her face at the sight of him.

"It was nice seeing you today," Anastasia smiled, "And you weren't acting like a bastard, like you usually do." Ciel chuckled at her vocabulary, before bending down to kiss her hand.

"Likewise, Miss Anastasia," Ciel's lips curved into a smirk against the skin of her hand. Anastasia blushed at the old-fashioned action. When he released her hand, she promptly turned around to open the door, hiding her face.

Creaking open the door, she wasn't really surprised when she saw Sebastian there. Though he was definitely surprised to find Ciel with her. Not that he showed it of course, he hid it perfectly. A slight widening of his eyes was all that was visible before he recovered graciously.

"Young master," he greeted, bowing from the waist. His crimson gaze turned to her. "Miss Anastasia." Anastasia politely bowed her head in greeting.

"Sebastian, meet me in my study," Ciel ordered, brushing past his servant. He made no sort of glance towards Anastasia to indicate that he did anything out of the ordinary outside the door. As both of the demons left for upstairs, Anastasia was left standing in the foyer, confused. _…What the actual hell?_

(A/N)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey, hope you liked the chapter!

Reviews:

Scorpia1029: Yay! (Ciel _is_ becoming a softie in my opinion)

S-Lioness: I'm glad you like the slowmance (And don't worry, Claude will come up soon) XD

Esmereilda: He was born in 1875 (sorry I got the century wrong). But since he was born in December, I figured they would wait a few months to have pictures done.

Tye-Dye girl: Agreed on the library front. And no, the pink dress was actually Ciel's! (The one he wore during Jack the Ripper) But good guess! Hope you liked the chapter!

Please R&amp;R!


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

~Ciel~

"What do you mean she doesn't exist?" Ciel harshly demanded his demon butler. "You've had nearly two entire months!" Sebastian bowed apologetically to his short (tempered) master. The younger male was glaring irately at him.

"There is no official record of any Anastasia Blackwell," Sebastian answered stoically. Ciel's eyebrow twitched, anger making itself known on his face. _How was there no record of the girl?_ His thoughts swirled like snowflakes during a storm, racing around his mind. _Surely there must be something- a birth certificate, parking ticket, something! _But even the building that she resided at was rented under her friend's name. To all intents and purposes, Anastasia Blackwell did not exist. Which was not something that sat well with Ciel. Ciel tilted his head as he momentarily pondered on demanding answers from the girl's friend, Vivianna. _But no_, Ciel sighed, _I made a promise._ And unfortunately, he was not one to go back on his word. Oh- he may lie and cheat, and bend the rules- but he always kept his word.

"Young Master," Sebastian started carefully, not wanting to invoke further irritation, "You do realize that this girl may pose a threat to you and your plans." Ciel snorted ungracefully. He doubted the girl would be able to harm him- at least seriously, that is. She may be handy with a knife, but she was still no match for him. But even so, Sebastian did have a point. As much as Ciel doubted that Anastasia had any intention of harming him, she did have some sort of secrecy about her.

Perhaps he couldn't demand answers from Vivianna, but that wouldn't stop him from interrogating the girl. He had a vague feeling of discomfort at the idea of forcefully looking for answers, but by now he didn't have much of a choice. If Sebastian couldn't find _any_ record of the girl, then something was terribly wrong.

Sitting up straight in his seat, Ciel placed his arms on the chair authoritatively.

"Sebastian," he ordered calmly, "Go fetch the girl and then leave us. It's about time we get some answers." Sebastian bowed as a slight smirk twisted his master's lips.

"Yes my lord," Sebastian answered, bowing again before leaving the room. Ciel's smirk faded as his servant left the room. His brow creased as he felt vaguely troubled at the idea of interrogating the girl. As much as he hated the thought, he'd grown fond of the girl. Not as a friend- he didn't have any of those, he couldn't. But she came the closest, and he was strangely reluctant to do her harm. Not that that usually stopped him, after all. Setting his jaw, Ciel cleared his head of everything as the door to his study creaked open. _Anastasia…_

~Anastasia~

Anastasia hummed as she scrubbed at the floor of the bathroom. She had gotten the floor rather filthy when she dumped her soggy, dirty clothes on it. Wrinkling her nose, she had dumped them down the laundry shoot before starting to clean the bathroom. She had gotten a good way done with it when there was a knock on her door.

"Yes?" Anastasia called from the bathroom.

"Miss Anastasia, my master wishes to see you," Sebastian said smoothly from outside the door. _Really? Now?_ Anastasia sighed in frustration, not wanting to see Ciel after the confrontation at the dock. She was still trying to wipe the whole ordeal from her mind. Anastasia resisted the urge to pull her hair out as she squeezed her eyes tightly shut. After taking a deep, calming breath- she exhaled and relaxed herself before heading to the door. Opening the door, she squared her shoulders as she looked at the black-clad butler lurking outside her door.

"Right now?" Anastasia inquired, forcing a pleasant expression on her face. Sebastian nodded, a slight smirk appearing on his face. He gazed at her appearance, his eyes lingering on her messy hair and dirty apron.

"Cleaning, were you?" Sebastian inquired, his voice rumbling from somewhere inside him. Anastasia's hand flew up to touch her hair, which was wrapped in a make-shift turban made of fabric. She had needed it out of the way for working, so she'd had to make do. She was also wearing an old apron that she'd had for a long time for the shop.

"I got the bathroom dirty," Anastasia said breezily, hiding her embarrassment, "So I cleaned it up." Sebastian arched at eyebrow before continuing.

"You may want to tidy yourself up before you meet the young master," Sebastian said, eyeing the dirt that made a light coat on her forearms and apron. Anastasia blushed before turning around distractedly.

"Of course," Anastasia said embarrassedly, turning back to her room. Rushing to the bathroom, she unwrapped her hair and brushed out the thick, brown waves and washed the dirt from her arms and face. Quickly untying her apron she tossed it on the freshly made bed and met Sebastian back at the door. Anastasia smiled at the demon.

"Lead the way," Anastasia said courteously. Sebastian inclined his head and did as she said. He lead her down the dim hallway, staying silent all the while.

When they finally reached Ciel's office, Sebastian stood to the side and allowed her to open the door. Placing her hand on the brass doorknob, she creaked open the door. She had a strange feeling about this, but she dismissed it as nothing. After all, she _did_ live in a manor of demons. But even that thought couldn't dismiss the tell-tale itch that originated between her shoulder blades.

Stepping inside the room, Anastasia was surprised to find a prideful looking Ciel. He was sitting at his desk authoritatively, his eyebrows lifted into a regal expression. He sat in his leather chair made throne. His eyes were staring directly at her, albeit one covered with a black patch. But that did not lessen the feeling of dread that struck her. Unconsciously, Anastasia swallowed. She tensed upon reflex, getting the distinct feeling that this was dangerous. She had that feeling quite a bit around Ciel- but almost never this potent. Not even when she first met him.

"May I ask what you called me in here for?" Anastasia inquired carefully. Ciel's eyes focused on her, his gaze sharpening. Anastasia stiffened at the gaze that could cut stone.

"Yes, you may," Ciel answers almost casually, but a glint in his eye belied his tone. _…What does he want?_ The thought came almost desperately to her mind. "Anastasia, what is your last name?" Anastasia's eyes widened as she felt her throat tighten inside her.

"Blackwell," she answered immediately. Ciel looked coolly at her and stood up.

"I do not appreciate being lied to," Ciel said coldly, striding around his desk to stand in front of her. Anastasia took a hasty step back.

"I'm not lying," Anastasia defended quickly. Ciel scowled before grabbing her forearm harshly.

"Then why do you not exist, according to the government?" He demanded, his grip tightening. Anastasia refused to wince at the pain- refusing to give him the satisfaction. Instead, she felt a white-hot rage grow inside her.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she spat. She almost immediately regretted her outburst as his pupils began to retract. As his eyes started smoldering with anger, Anastasia became distinctly aware of the holy water vial around her neck.

"Are you sure about that?" Ciel hissed, increasing pressure on her arm. At the bone-breaking grip, Anastasia lost her one-sided battle to not wince, and tilted to a different angle in an attempt to lessen the pain. It didn't work, and Ciel merely took it as a way to pull her closer.

"What. Is. Your. Name?" Ciel demanded, his voice leaving no room for argument. Anastasia was pulled up against his chest so his hot breath hit her face with every word he spoke. Anastasia scowled at him deeply, glaring right into his uncovered eye.

"My birth name is Marie Anastasia Everwood," Anastasia answered spitefully after a moment of silence. Almost immediately, Ciel released her. Anastasia stumbled back from him- surprised by being let go- but caught herself just in time.

"…Daughter of Jonas Everwood?" Ciel demanded carefully, looking at her in a new light. Anastasia set her jaw and attempted to swallow the lump in her throat.

"Yes," she answered after a moment. A wave of confusion washed over her at his question. _How does he know about my father?_ Perhaps her father hadn't been the best man- at least after mother died- but nothing that warranted Ciel's knowledge. As far as she could tell, Ciel only dealt with the high and mighty/important people. Whether those people were good or bad, who could tell. Her father did bring some people home occasionally- very bad looking people- but he wasn't involved with anything HUGE. Well, as far as she knew, apparently. _What does Ciel want with him?_

Anastasia stood there as he examined her- as if looking at her in a new light. Suddenly, his gaze hardened.

"Do you know what you've done?" Ciel hissed, his eyes flashing scarlet. He stalked toward her as his pupils narrowed not slits. Anastasia's eyes widened in fright as her hands scrambled to her necklace- breaking it off her neck. Without thinking, she yanked the stopped off and threw the liquid at Ciel. Her mouth dropped open as time seemed to slow. The clear, sparkling liquid flew through the air at an alarming pace, only to splash over Ciel.

As soon as the liquid hit his skin, a cacophony of howls and hisses filled the air. Anastasia stood in shock for several moments, looking at the demon withering on the floor. Ciel's nails seemed to elongate, his teeth become sharper, hair appeared on his body. His body seemed to be constantly shifting, struggling for control. Anastasia stood stock still until one of his arms (paws?) swiped at her. Regaining her common sense, Anastasia bolted from the room, not looking back.

She ran without thinking through the hallways, not paying attention to where she was going. Just knowing that she needed to get _out._ It wasn't long before she started to hear thuds behind her of someone following her. Of course, Anastasia knew that Ciel wouldn't be able to move as fast when under so much pain, but she didn't want to find out what he would do to her when he caught up with her. Looking wildly back and forth between the two hallways, she ran down the right.

Running down the turning and twisting hallways, Anastasia found herself in an abandoned room on the second story. Ciel was at the other end of the hallway- she could hear him. Darting into the room, she locked the door behind her- and not a moment too soon. Right after she did it, Ciel started hurtling himself at the door. Luckily, he was still in pain or she would already be dead. Panting, Anastasia grabbed the key out of the lock and stuffed it in her pocket. Moving to the window, she looked down at the ground. Right below the window were bushes to land on, which was right what she needed.

Taking a fleeting glance at the empty bed, she felt the child-like urge to hide under it and pray Ciel would go away. Luckily, the thought was jarred from her head as Ciel thudded against the door again. The door groaned in its hinges, and Anastasia prayed it held for a while longer.

Opening the window latches, Anastasia sat in the windowsill and hesitated for a moment. The pained groaning of the door urged her forward. Taking a deep breath, she let go of the manor and allowed herself to fall towards the ground. She landed with a roll, thankfully not injuring herself. Not taking time to dust herself off, she started running toward the gate. She barely made it thirty feet before she heard the sound of a door breaking. Risking a glance toward the manor, she spotted a dark shape in the window she had previously occupied. It only stood there for a moment before bounding out the window. Anastasia's breath caught in her chest as she urged her legs to run faster. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she ran. Her bare feet were pounding on the ground, and there was a distinct pain in her left one- no doubt from the fall- but she ignored it. It wasn't broken, that's what mattered.

She was almost to the gate, but the dark shape was gaining on her. When she was twenty feet from the gate, it was fifty behind her. Forty. Thirty. When she reached the gate, it was only twenty feet from her. Panicked, Anastasia's eyes were wild as she rattled the locked gate. Gazing desperately upward, Anastasia hiked up her skirt and started to climb the iron bars. _Please don't let him be able to follow me… Please, please, please._ Her prayers were not answered as the black shape bounded up the gate after her. She was almost to the top, just a little farther…

Just as she reached the top, a black, clawed hand grasped her ankle, disrupting her balance. A scared, desperate scream filled the air when her body hit the ground. The resounding thud silenced all the creatures of the forest… Including Ciel.

~~~~~~~~(A/N)~~~~~~~~~~

Well this chapter was not fluffy or light-hearted at all. Sorry about that, I'll get to it soon- I promise! Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter.

Reviews:

MnemosyneMinds: Sorry it took so long (I was at writing camp all week). I'm glad that you think Ciel is acting realistic (Probably _too_ realistic in this chapter, since I like fluffy Ciel too). I will be able to update more often now- but I do have ballet camp next week. Ugh! (I do like it though, so not too 'ugh'). I'm glad you liked all the french references, I just included them because that's what all ballet moves are in. Glad you like it so far- hope you liked the chapter!

S-Lioness: She should TOTALLY ask him about the dress. Maybe not right now though… Considering she just fell off of a gate. But she will, soon. Sorry this chapter is so short!

Guest: I'm glad you liked the lake scene! (It was really fun to write). Everyone seems to like the kiss on the hand- so yay for that!

Uxintaa: Yay! I'm glad you liked it, hope you liked this chapter.

Esmereilda: Lol, I'm glad you liked it. (I can't help it- I LIKE FLUFFY CIEL!) …I hope they're good parallels… *shudders at the thought of other fic*

Scorpia1029: Yay! I'm glad you liked the hand-kiss. (It was fun to write)

LaughterLover98: I'm glad you liked playful Ciel (We don't see much of him, do we?) Not nearly enough, anyway. I'm glad you liked the fluff, hope you liked the dark. (Oops)

Please R&amp;R!


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

_Ba-bum… Ba-bum… Ba-bum. _Anastasia's heart was pounding in her head when she woke up. Blood was roaring in her ears as she scrunched up her face. Wrinkling her nose, she tried to remember the previous day. _…Ciel… running… black shape… gate… _Anastasia couldn't remember much beyond that.

As her mind struggled to remember, she fought to wake. It seemed that her eyelids were made of lead, unwilling to open even a crack. Anastasia slowly lifted her eyelids, a fraction at a time. When they were open, she realized that she was in an unfamiliar room. The room was circular- though quite large- and the ceiling ended in a point. Looking around her, she noticed she was laying on top of a large bed, layered with comforters and quilts. Shifting under the many blankets, she moved them aside and started to stand. But as she did so, a thousand pains struck her.

"Argh!" Anastasia yelped, abruptly sitting back down on the quilt. _What the…?_ Every part of her hurt- even her teeth. Gritting her teeth, she stood again, ignoring the pain. Using the bed to support herself, she made her way over to a mirror. At first glance, she looked fine- save for a white bandage around the left side of her head. She was wearing an unfamiliar white gown and her hair seemed to have been washed by someone else. Her back was itchy, so Anastasia turned around to put her back to the mirror. Anastasia gasped when she saw it.

The dress's back was low enough so she could see a yellowing, purple bruise that covered her entire shoulder- and most likely lower back too, but she couldn't see it.

"What the hell…" She whispered, aghast. Looking at the bruise, her memories from yesterday came forward.

"Oh my God," Anastasia whispered with her eyes wide. How had she even survived that fall? As soon as she had the thought, the door to the room opened- revealing Ciel. He was holding a small platter of food. Despite his unthreatening stature, Anastasia yelped and scrambled on top of the bed, getting as far away from him as possible. _Not again! _She looked at him with fear-filled eyes, shaking where she sat. Her body was filled with fear at the mere sight of him. Ciel sighed at her reaction before pulling up a chair to the bed and sitting there. When he didn't make any threatening movements towards Anastasia, she began to relax slightly. But only just.

Placing the tray down in front of Anastasia, Ciel sat silently.

"Eat," he ordered gently, gesturing with his head towards the food. Anastasia looked at the array of fruit, cheese, and bread suspiciously. She had never fully trusted Ciel to begin with, but now… Anastasia was _never_ going to trust the demon again.

"I'm not hungry," Anastasia proclaimed, ignoring the hunger pangs in her stomach. Right then, her stomach decided to demonstrate a whale mating call. Ciel continued to look at her with insistence. Grudgingly, Anastasia began to eat from the platter, nibbling on a roll. Her stomach growled at the slow pace at which she was eating, demanding that she eat faster. She obeyed, but still ate slowly- not wanting to overdo it in case she threw up.

She ate in silence, Ciel sitting in the chair, watching her. She didn't appreciate his gaze, even if it wasn't meant to be threatening.

"What do you want?" Anastasia asked hollowly, eyeing him warily. Ciel didn't answer for a moment, letting a silence grow between them. _…Is he going to kill me?_ It wouldn't surprise her, but she was much too weak to fight back. But it wouldn't make sense to feed her and then kill her… Right?

"I came to talk to you," he said lowly, "And… to apologize." His eyes lowered to the ground. Anastasia's brow wrinkled.

"To… Apologize?" Anastasia asked carefully. Ciel tightened his jaw before nodding slowly.

"I'm sorry that I reacted like that, it was never my intention to harm you," Ciel said lowly, avoiding her gaze. Anastasia snorted.

"You could've fooled me," she retorted. Ciel's gaze snapped up back to hers and she gulped. Anastasia did _not_ want to anger him further. She stayed silent, not wanting to provoke the beast.

"Why did you lie about your name?" Ciel inquired, lacing his fingers together. He set his intertwined hands on the mattress, causing Anastasia to scoot farther away.

"…Blackwell was my mother's maiden name," Anastasia answered honestly. This time it was her turn to avoid the other's gaze. "I didn't want to be found by my father." Ciel's eyes hardened at the mention of her father.

"Why didn't you want to be found?" He inquired carefully, measuring every word. Anastasia snorted divisively.

"My father was no father," she said harshly. Ciel seemed taken aback by her tone. Sighing, Anastasia leaned back against the headboard. _This is going to take a while…_

"My father…" She began, wondering where to start, "He wasn't always a bad man. He was a kind and good father before my mother died when I was ten from leukemia. But after she died he became… distant." Anastasia's voice was flat when she spoke of it. "Though not distant enough, sometimes." Anastasia laughed humorlessly.

"He took to the bottle quite rapidly," Anastasia continued, unlacing the high collar of her nightgown. "And… he did this." Slipping off the left sleeve, she revealed a medium-sized scar on the front of her shoulder. Ciel's eyes widened at the sight. Judging by his reaction to it, he hadn't seen it yet. Anastasia's lips twisted into a wry smile.

The middling, yet deep, scar was hidden by her clothing at all times, she made sure of it. It avoided a lot of uncomfortable questions. After all, it was caused by a jagged bottle after it had been thrown at her. Not a very good conversation starter. The scar tissue itself was white and jagged, not clean in any sense of the word. The day she had gotten it had been one of the worst days of her life. Anastasia swallowed, clearing her throat to regain Ciel's attention.

"My turn," she announced, leaning back into her pillows, but keeping her head high. "Why did you chase me when I mentioned my father?" Ciel looked uncomfortable, like he wanted to turn his gaze away. But he didn't. Swallowing, he answered her.

"Jonas Everwood was a high up business man- as you knew already-" Ciel said distractedly, fidgeting in his chair. "But after your mother- Risette- died, he got involved with bad people." Anastasia nodded, already knowing that bit. Her father would bring home some dirty looking people, but he always told her to just mind her own business and stay in her room. Well, that was, until she ran away.

"But one of these bad people was someone you know now," Ciel hinted. Anastasia's brow furrowed as she tried to think of someone. _…Ciel? Sebastian?_ Maybe even Vlad? The question must have been written in her eyes, because Ciel answered her unspoken question.

"Claude." Anastasia could almost feel her heart stop as she started lurching forward in her seat. The blood ran out of her face, leaving a white pallor behind.

"What?" She demanded breathlessly. Her voice was harsh and jagged as she spat out the word like it was poison. Ciel nodded solemnly.

"Claude was using your father to transport items of great value through human channels," Ciel continued, his voice just as quiet as it was before. Anastasia developed a small twitch in her jaw at the news.

"But why?" she asked confusedly, at a loss. "What could Claude _possibly_ need my father for? Why him?" Ciel shifted in his seat, looking distinctly uncomfortable. When he didn't answer, Anastasia formed her own conclusions.

"Oh my God…" Anastasia began. Ciel looked back up at her cautiously. "It was because of me, wasn't it?" Ciel opened his mouth hesitantly, looking unsure of himself for what was probably the first time in centuries.

"It didn't start because of you, but that certainly made him change his plans when he found out." Anastasia swallowed painfully, a lump forming in her throat. "How old were you when you started showing your powers?" Ciel questioned. Anastasia shook her head in disbelief.

"I was three…" She answered distantly. "But I ran away when I was thirteen because I just couldn't stay there anymore." Ciel's jaw tightened as he glanced away, burning a hole in the carpet.

"That's why he didn't take you…" Ciel murmured to himself. "You were too young, he was waiting until you were older and could understand what he wanted you to do." Anastasia's brow furrowed.

"But why didn't he just find me when I was living on my own?" Anastasia questioned, tilting her head. Her hands gripped each other tightly in her lap. "It's not like I was really hiding." _Besides… I doubt even if I did it would help against a demon._ The proof of that was right in front of her. There was nothing she could have done to get away from Ciel without destroying her life. Ciel shrugged helplessly.

"I don't know!" Ciel growled, his fists pounding the edge of the bed. He gave Anastasia a start and she jumped in her bed, keeping her eyes trained on him. He seemed frazzled, like too much was happening at once.

"Are you okay?" Anastasia inquired carefully. Ciel seemed to snap out of it as his eyes met hers. His deep blue orbs that were glazed over gained recognition and control.

"Yes…" He answered slowly, his hands unfurling to reveal crescent shaped indentations on his palm. His back was as straight as a rod. "My apologies." A slight smile lifted the corner of her mouth.

"I forgive you." The smile stayed on her face as Ciel processed what she'd said. A weight fell over the room as they both realized she wasn't _just_ talking about that moment. Ciel looked up at her in shock as he realized the implication of what she said.

"But…" He sputtered, "I _chased_ you! I hurt you, you're covered in bruises!" Anastasia stared straight into his eyes as she stood up from the bed, ignoring the aches and pains that immediately struck her body.

"I know," she said calmly. "Which is _why_ you need to know something." Ciel's previously relaxed demeanor disappeared to be replaced with a suspicious one.

"What…?" He asked. Anastasia gave a tight smile as she stood in front of him, invading his personal space. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she stared him down.

"I _don't_ appreciate being used and tossed around like a play toy," she started off. Ciel opened his mouth to protest, but she shushed him. "I am a person! I don't think you realize this? And you will respect me. You cannot terrorize me into giving into you or toss me around every time you want information!" Ciel's mouth snapped shut as he listened to her with his eyes trained upon hers.

"You will let me do as I please around the manor as long as I am not harming or disrupting anything. I am only living here because you want me to. You will also treat me with courtesy and like a human being. I know you're a demon, but you were human once- so try to remember," she said, voice void of any compromise. Ciel arched an eyebrow.

"Is that all?" He asked dryly. He knew that he didn't deserve her forgiveness and _should_ be making it up to her, but it was hardly in his nature. A fake smile lit Anastasia's lips.

"I also want to be able to visit Vivianna whenever I wish and be able to go about the city. I will not be cut off from the rest of the world any longer just because of you." Anastasia added. Ciel's eyes widened in shock.

"What?" He demanded, standing up to tower over her. Anastasia kept her eyes trained on his even as he stared down at her. "You, in the city?" She stood her ground, not stepping back even though they were chest to chest.

"You heard me," she retorted. She was almost positive that her new found confidence was really just misplaced adrenaline from almost dying. She was _sure_ that she was going to regret saying these things later, but right now they just felt right. Ciel stared silently at her for several moments. They entered into a battle of the wills, but Anastasia wasn't going to back down anytime soon. She was still full of adrenaline and it could last for quite a while. Ciel's eyes narrowed as he stared at her, but Anastasia refuse to back down.

"You can go on outings…" Ciel started slowly. Anastasia started smiling in triumph which deflated at the next word. "_If_ you at least notify me first." _Okay._ That wasn't as bad as she expected. She had at least thought that he would demand to accompany her which would drive her to insanity.

"Deal." Grins lit both of their faces, though Anastasia's was much brighter. A glint of approval shone in Ciel's lone eye.

"Now," Anastasia continued, gazing around the tower room, "As lovely as this room is, I want to go back to my room now." Ciel raised an eyebrow and gestured toward the door.

"Of course," he answered with a hint of approval in his voice. "After you." Anastasia strode out of the room with her back straight, inwardly trying to keep it together. Her false confidence had faded, but she had gotten what she wanted. And if she wasn't mistaken, Ciel was the tiniest bit proud of her for it.

Anastasia lead the way back to her room with Ciel trailing behind her. Save for when she got a bit lost and ended up having Ciel correct her as she started to walk into a broom cupboard. In her defense, she hadn't even been in that part of the manor. But they eventually made it back to her room- albeit aching and pain filled in her case.

Opening her door, Anastasia turned to face Ciel for the last time that day.

"I suppose I should thank you for taking care of me, but considering that you're the one who caused it, I don't think I should," Anastasia said primly. A dangerous look in Ciel's eye said that she was pushing her luck. Anastasia's gaze softened.

"But thank you anyway," she continued. The glint faded from his eye and he seemed appeased.

"Of course," he answered, inclining his head towards her. "If you need anything, just call. You'll be bed-bound for the next few days." Anastasia nodded in thanks.

"I will," she answered, smiling softly. A ghost of a smile lit his face as he bowed again and turned around to leave. Anastasia shut her door after him, weary and aching. Her eyes drifted to her bed. It looked SO comfortable… Blearily, Anastasia got under the covers and fell asleep almost immediately. She needed a _long_ night to heal herself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(A/N)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yay, I updated! I hope this makes sense, if it doesn't- please review and I will fix it!

Reviews:

Mnemosyne Minds: *whew* I'm glad I wrote it correctly! I do like fluffy Ciel (hopefully we'll see him next chapter…) but evil Ciel was needed last chapter. I hope this chapter explained everything! And yes, Ciel does semi-regret what he did.

Scorpia1029: Yay! *throws update* enjoy!

Cali Michaelis: I'm glad you like it, I hope this chapter made it make sense!

Vampire Siren: Yay- I like the two of them even though it is not a healthy relationship yet.

Esmereilda: Lol, I'm glad you think so at least. And I _did_ base Nevermore off of this fic (even though I published Nevermore first, I wrote this one beforehand). Oh, and don't worry. Claude's gonna get into a LOT of trouble…

NekoKennedyChan: Thank you so much, that really means a lot to me! I'm glad that you like my writing, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

AliceV: Hope you liked the chapter!

IndigoBlueButterfly: Good to know I can write 'intense writing'! *squee* I'm so glad that you liked it!

S-Lioness: I updated! Yeah, her father is not the best person- though arguably better than a demon. Though in this fandom, I doubt it. I hope this chapter cleared everything up. If it didn't let me know and I'll fix it!

Please R&amp;R!


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

It was quite late when Anastasia finally awoke. Squinting her eyes, she opened them against the bright light. Even her heavy curtains couldn't keep all the light out.

"Mmhnng…" Anastasia mumbled. She stuffed her face into her pillow to recover before getting up. Slowly, she shifted the comforter away from her. Anastasia shivered in the cool air as goosebumps rose on her skin.

Cautiously getting up, Anastasia made an effort not to move in any uncomfortable ways. Though that was apparently easier said than done. Anastasia winced as her feet hit the ground. She slipped her feet into her slippers on the floor and tried to ignore the aches and pains that plagued her body. Padding over to the curtains, she rubbed her back as she threw them back.

"Ugh…" She shielded her eyes from the bright light. _How late is it…?_ It looked like it was already afternoon.

"Miss Anastasia," Sebastian started calmly from behind her. Anastasia whipped around in fright, her hand hovering over her heart.

"Oh, Sebastian," Anastasia sighed in relief, her hand sinking down. "It's just you." The elder demon looked vaguely offended at her choice of words.

"You are injured, you shouldn't be out of bed so soon." Anastasia rolled her eyes.

"I'm fine, look at me!" Anastasia gestured to her body. "Couldn't be better!" Of course that was a lie, but she didn't really feel like staying in her bed all day. _But it's starting to sound like a good idea…_ Anastasia started swaying in her place, her vision turning blurry. Sebastian arched an eyebrow at her statement and caught her as she stumbled.

"Please stay in bed, Miss Anastasia, at least for the rest of the day. You can get out tomorrow," Sebastian said smoothly as he laid her down on her bed. Anastasia was vaguely aware of his glove brushing against her foot as he took her slippers off.

"Maybe just for today…" Anastasia mumbled as she gratefully rested her head back down. She groaned quietly as her consciousness started to fade and she slept restlessly with strange dreams about a navy-haired boy.

~o0o~

_A figure dressed in all white lay in the coffin, her red hair starkly contrasting with the pallor of her face. _

_ "White flowers and subdued clothes do not suit you," the navy haired boy said as he stood in front of the corpse. "What suits you is a passionate red." He draped a crimson dress over her unmoving form._

_ "The color of licorice burning in the earth," he continued as he tucked a red rose behind her ear. "Aunt Ann." He meant down to touch their foreheads together and thousands of red rose petals rained down from above._

_ Aunt Ann…_

~o0o~

When Anastasia woke up for the second time that day, it was black outside. Her room was lit by a dim lamp on her nightstand. Sitting up, she yawned widely, feeling much less tired than she was earlier. _My sleep schedule is going to be _so_ messed up by the time I recover._ Wincing as she straightened up, her stomach growled loudly.

"Ugh…" Anastasia groaned. She was _starving. _She hadn't eaten all day. Anastasia threw the covers off of her and started to get up before she saw a figure near the door. Anastasia screamed before he came into the light. _It's just Ciel… _Anastasia's expression melted into relief before turning into exasperation.

"Can you ever just knock?" Anastasia demanded wearily. Ciel quirked an eyebrow before setting down a plate with a clatter.

"I figured you'd be hungry," Ciel replied shortly. He turned to leave, but before he could Anastasia's arm reached out to snag the edge of his coat. Her eyes widen as she realized what she was doing.

"Uh…" Anastasia's mind raced for an excuse, "Thanks for bringing me food." Ciel inclined his head and waited there patiently for her to say something else. "Join me?" She finished lamely. Ciel arched an eyebrow and remained standing. Anastasia slowly died on the inside, shriveling up from embarrassment.

"…Which you don't have to do, of course. I mean- I know you're just really busy-" Anastasia was babbling now and Ciel cut her off.

"It's fine," he said smoothly, pulling up a chair. Anastasia nibbled on some food as he sat there, not quite sure what to say. Ciel seemed nicer tonight, far more than he usually did. He seemed more even-tempered and less likely to use the knife-like sarcasm that he preferred.

"I have something for you," Ciel started, pulling a small rectangle out of his pocket and depositing it in Anastasia's lap. Anastasia looked at it curiously for a moment before gazing back up at Ciel in shock when she realized what it was.

"Why did you get me this?" Anastasia demanded as she held the phone. Unlike her old one, it was more than just a flip phone with a keyboard. Pressing the button at the bottom of the screen, it lit up- illuminating her face with it's white glow.

"I figured you would need it in your self-proclaimed freedom," Ciel said dryly as Anastasia attempted to figure out all the functions of her new device. Vivianna had some like this, but Anastasia never had. Anastasia shot a sharp look up at Ciel. She bristled at his wording, but remained quiet.

"You didn't need to," Anastasia said quietly. A smile graced Ciel's lips.

"I know," he answered. They stayed quiet for a moment as Anastasia tore off parts of a roll and ate it slowly with a churning in her stomach.

"Who was 'Aunt Ann'?" Anastasia asked, finally daring to speak aloud the question she had been wondering. Ciel's gaze snapped toward her, his lone eye sharp and bright.

"How do you know about her?" He asked, his voice a deathly calm. Anastasia shifted uncomfortably, partially because of his gaze, but also because her bandages were starting to itch.

"…I had a dream last night," she ventured finally. Ciel seemed to relax, but there was still a stiffness in his posture that was barely visible.

"What did you see?" He questioned. Anastasia played with the roll in her hand, turning it over and inspecting it for imperfections.

"…I saw her funeral, and you were there," Anastasia started, "You had a red dress and rose petals fell from the ceiling." Ciel leaned back in his chair in what almost seemed like relief. He didn't volunteer any more information, so Anastasia assumed he wouldn't answer.

"She was my aunt on my mother's side," Ciel finally answered. Anastasia observed him quietly without saying anything, not wanting to metaphorically scare him away. "She was my mother's only sister and I loved her as a child. She seemed to love me too, because she didn't have children." Ciel was quiet for a moment and Anastasia could see a battle playing out on his face, debating on whether to go on or not.

"…She was involved in a series of murders when I was twelve." Apparently he decided. "She worked with a grim reaper to kill women who she had operated on." He fell silent like he wasn't going to continue. Anastasia was momentarily distracted by the fact that grim reapers exist too.

"What murders?" Anastasia questioned quietly.

"…Jack the Ripper." Anastasia's eyebrows shot up.

"Oh," she said quietly. Ciel's expression was pained at her reply as he played with a ring on his forefinger.

"My Aunt didn't have a happy life- she fell in love with someone who loved another and when she finally got married and got pregnant- her husband died in a carriage accident and the baby had to be removed so she could live. She killed her patients who got abortions as means of revenge for all the wrongs that she had been dealt," Ciel said, his voice quiet. "Do not misunderstand me, I'm not saying what she did was right. But it's understandable." A soft, slightly sorrowful smile lit Anastasia's lips.

"Life isn't kind to people," Anastasia said, "Good things happen to the most disgusting of people, and bad things happen to people who never deserved it. You can't help the hand you're dealt in life." Ciel gazed at her with a mixture of emotions that she couldn't decipher.

"I couldn't have put it better myself," he commented. Anastasia bit back a smile at that, instead taking a bite out of a strawberry.

"What about you?" Ciel questioned, "Do you have any surviving family?" Anastasia snored.

"I'm not sure," she said honestly, "I don't know if my father is alive, and frankly- I don't give a damn if he is." A slight smirk curved Ciel's lips as Anastasia tapped her fingers against her leg.

"My grandparents on my mom's side used to come over a lot, but I don't know what happened to them. They stopped coming after she died. I don't know if they're alive or not." Anastasia's mind went over her messed up family relations, thinking about how things used to be in the past when everything was good and normal.

"Do you know how your powers work?" Ciel asked curiously, tilting his head. Anastasia repositioned herself on her bed, once again irritated by the scratchiness of the bandages.

"Not really," Anastasia answered honestly, "I mean, they started when I was three, but I didn't really notice anything until then. I mainly just predicted the weather with _fantastic_ accuracy- my mother stopped watching the weather channel." Anastasia grinned at the memory of her pudgy three-year-old self proclaiming that it was going to rain that evening to her mother. Much to her mother's disbelief at the time, she had been right.

Ciel made a slight humming noise in acknowledgment. Anastasia shifted again and this time a flash of pain appeared on her face.

"Your bandages," Ciel said automatically, standing up. "I forgot." He pulled more white cloth out of his pocket and set it on the nearby table.

"I'm going to need you to lie on the bed for me," Ciel requested as he started buttoning up his sleeves. Anastasia was briefly distracted by the sight of his forearm and the look on his face that she almost forgot what she was doing. When Anastasia still hadn't moved from her spot a moment later, Ciel arched an eyebrow.

"Lay down," Ciel commanded. Anastasia obeyed, laying down on the bed with her stomach on the mattress and her head facing the wall. She could hear Ciel rustling above her, but her head was tilted away from him. She froze when his hands started to unbutton the back of her dress so he could get to her back. Briefly, she wondered why he was doing this himself and not just making Sebastian do it. Now that she thought about it, she didn't actually see Sebastian that often…

The fabric of her loose nightgown was pushed to the side as Ciel revealed her bandages. Her skin jumped as his ice-cold hands traced down her back. Using quick efficiency, he removed the dirty bandages and carelessly tossed them to the side. Goosebumps rose on her skin as Anastasia resisted the urge to shiver. Her back still felt bruised, proven by the fact that she felt like wincing every time Ciel's hand brushed the injured part of her skin on her shoulder blade

"How does it look?" Anastasia asked, the sound slightly muffled by the pillow.

"…It'll heal," Ciel said, avoiding the question. He started to reapply new bandages to her back. Anastasia shifted uncomfortably at the itchy material, but she knew it had to go back on if she wanted to give herself a chance to heal and get better- she was getting tired of being bed bound.

"I know," Anastasia murmured. They spent the next moments in complete silence, the only sound was the creaking of the floorboards.

"…I'm sorry," Ciel said quietly, his voice so faint a whisper that Anastasia almost didn't hear it. Her brow furrowed at his words. It was rare enough that he would apologize- but apologizing twice in two days was amount to getting struck by lightning seven times and surviving.

"Why?" She asked, the question deceptively simple. Ciel paused with his words, but his hands continued bandaging her with almost mechanical movements

"I have never lost control like that, and I take pride in it," Ciel said. Anastasia's brow uncreased as she relaxed under his touch. She could understand, she supposed, not wanting to lose yourself when it's the only thing you really have. If he had asked her right there, she would have admitted that she felt slightly wounded that pride was his primary reason to apologize. But she let it slide.

"There," Ciel said, tapping on her shoulder, "I'm done." Anastasia sat up, her back aching with the strain.

"Thank you," she said as she leaned back on the pillows.

"It's the least I could do," Ciel answered smoothly. Anastasia chuckled.

"The least you could've done was leave me there to die," she replied, half joking and half serious. Ciel didn't smile.

"I wouldn't have let the only psychic I know of, die," Ciel said.

"Sometimes I wish I didn't know you," Anastasia said with a tired weariness, "Maybe then I could get through the night without having dreams about your life." Ciel looked at her with a question in his eye.

"You have dreams?" Ciel asked. Anastasia nodded.

"You shared your life with me, remember?" She asked with a laugh that was tinged with bitterness. Ciel reluctant gave a nod of his head in affirmation.

"…What else do you know about me?" He questioned with a slightly hard edge in his voice. Anastasia sighed before tilting her head back to lean against the headboard.

"Honestly," she started, "I'm not really sure." Ciel looked confused before she continued. "…When I tell someone's past, I usually absorb it really quickly and it passes a few minutes later, and most of the details are forgotten since it doesn't matter that much to me Think of it as a sieve. The smaller details get lost through the mess, but the larger ones get caught. And afterwards, I dump it out and forget all about it. But you- of course you're not like that. Your life has gone on so long that I only got a few details and major events. I don't even remember my dreams most of the time. Tonight was one of the clearest ones I've had of your life since the beginning." Ciel sat quietly for a moment, absorbing her freely-given information. Anastasia didn't mind giving away her process, she supposed Ciel deserved to know what she knew about him or not. Well, _deserved_ may be a strong word, but she gave it to him even so.

"Can you forget it without absorbing it?" Ciel questioned. Anastasia shook her head grimly.

"No," she said, "That's why you've been giving me so much trouble. My head _refuses_ to let me see much of your life, and it refuses to go away. It's been giving me a constant headache." She rubbed her temples at the thought and Ciel stayed silent for a moment.

"It sounds awful," Ciel admitted. Anastasia nodded vigorously.

"It is!" She proclaimed. She was about to say something else when she was interrupted by a yawn.

"I think it's time for you to get some more sleep," Ciel advised calmly, putting away his chair.

"I literally just got like twenty hours of sleep," Anastasia protested while simultaneously sliding under the covers. Ciel hummed in acknowledgement as he put out the lights. He moved towards the door as Anastasia put her arm around a pillow.

"Good night, Anastasia," Ciel said upon instinct. Anastasia smiled against her pillow.

"Good night, Ciel." Anastasia settled down for more self-healing sleep.

~~~~~~~(A/N)~~~~~~~~

Hey guys… Here's an update! It _definitely _didn't take five months to finally get on here hahAHAHAHAH. What a ridiculous idea.

fanficsGALORE: Lol, I've always wanted to find a fanfic I like with my name, but there are like none out there. It's really annoying

TPWABW: Thanks, I'm glad you enjoy it or you're kind enough to lie

scorpia1029: I'm pretty sure Alois is dead, but who knows? The writer is indecisive. (She also can't spell that well, that just took me like three minutes to spell 'indecisive')

IndigoBlueButterfly: Hey- I finally updated! Are you proud of me?

Esmerelda: Good point, Ciel can be really rude tbh

Cali Michaelis: I feel like he wouldn't behave if you carried around a squirt bottle filled with holy water

VampireSiren: Probably a lot of crap, because the writer is very mean to her characters apparently

Ember136: Good! That's kind of what I'm going for. sorry I didn't update soon :'(

S-Lioness: Claude is just really rude in my opinion and he needs to die a horrible death. And I'm not going to make him interested in Anastasia because love triangles are my arch-nemesis. I hate them with my entire being.

R&amp;R!


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey guys! Sorry this chapter is super short, but I literally wrote it in like two hours so whatever. In other news, I'm going to stop replies because they take up a lot of space and I'm sure most people don't enjoy scrolling through them all the time. But I will reply if you have questions, fear not my friends.**

**EDIT: HOLY SHIT I MISSED MY FIC'S BIRTHDAY I'M SO SORRY. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. I'M SORRY I'M A TERRIBLE MOTHER**

Chapter 16

Anastasia was growing more and more antsy as the days turned to weeks and she still didn't get any better.

"Why does it take so long to heal?" Anastasia complained as the demon butler checked her back for her- for what seemed like the fourth time that day.

"Humans are rather fragile beings," Sebastian mused as he efficiently buttoned her nightgown back up. Anastasia rolled her eyes as she sat back up.

"It's stupid," she whined, "I can't _do_ anything!" She had been repeating herself like a broken record for days now. She wouldn't exactly blame the demon for getting annoyed with her. Sebastian didn't say anything in response. Instead, he politely bowed from the waist.

"If there's nothing else you need, the master is expecting me," he said smoothly, ignoring her complaints. Anastasia sighed, flopping back listlessly onto the bed.

"Fine," she assented, "Go do all your demony business stuff." A trace of Sebastian's irritation flashed across his face for a millisecond.

"Of course." Sebastian took his leave, making sure to shut the door behind him. Anastasia's room was dead silent when he left, the only noise was the sound of her breathing. After a few moments of staring lethargically at the ceiling, she slid out of bed and padded over to the bathroom.

"Ugh," Anastasia commented, wrinkling her nose, "This place is filthy." She had refused to let the demon butler clean her room because while she was forced to live with them, she didn't want to deal with them more than she had to. Unfortunately, the downside of refusing room service is that clothes pile up _really_ quickly. Her entire room could use a good scrub down. _Well, _Anastasia thought, _I may as well clean since I'm bored to hell_. Pun unintended.

Tying her apron around her waist, she set to work around the bedroom.

Cleaning her bedroom suite consisted of mostly listening to music and singing, and very little actually cleaning, which she was sure was not good for her work ethic but she didn't really care.

Soon, she finished with her bedroom when she sent her laundry down the laundry shoot that was a few doors away down the hall. _Well that's done._ Time to check the bathroom.

_Oh dear…_ Her bathroom was in even worse condition than her bedroom. Sighing, she tightened the strings of her apron and got to work, all the while loudly singing to the Wicked soundtrack without a thought about how thin the walls were since they were built in the 1800s.

Three hours later, she was done and bored again. Being injured was not very entertaining and limited her to just her bedroom. Her back and chest were aching from the stress of cleaning her room. Covering her mouth to stifle a sudden yawn, she realized how tired she was. Honestly, it didn't make any sense because she'd been sleeping for well over however long normal people slept. She doubted it was normal, but the thought didn't stop her eyes from drifting toward the bed. _Well, it's not like I'm busy._ Settling back down on her bed that had been her temporary home for two weeks, she pulled the covers over her and drifted off into an uneasy nap.

~o0o~

_ "Burn it," the boy said darkly. His voice didn't seem to come from him, but from the empty space around him._

_ "Burn it?" His butler questioned, holding the small child in his arms in a facade of care, "This place?" _

_ "That's right." He didn't seem to give a damn that there were children all around them, in cages or standing mindlessly, like they weren't quite there. _

_ "However, young master, if I recall correctly from her Majesty the Queen's letter, wasn't this time's mission to find the criminals and rescue the children? The criminals are now…" He was cut off by his tiny master_

_ "Shut up!" He ordered, his voice cracking with insanity and desperation, "Don't leave anything! Turn everything here to ash! Did you forget your job? It's an order!" _No…._ The butler sighed at his impatient young master with what seemed like disappointment. Peeling off a glove, he revealed the black, tattooed pentagram on his right hand. Raising it over a candelabra, he made the flames raise to lick greedily at the curtains and the walls. _

_ "Yes, my lord." _Ciel… _As they left, they didn't see the destruction they left behind. Flames greedily ate up everything and tore through the room, not caring if that thing was animate or not. They didn't hear the eerie silence of the children being burned alive, too broken to care. _No, please…. Ciel!_ Fire roared like waves around the mansion, spreading from room to room and turning everything to ash. But the children burned slower than curtains did, and they took a while to die. Some of their legs burned off first, those who were lucky died quickly. Smoke suffocated the oxygen in the room and soon fire was all there was. _No! _A child's half burnt face with an eerie smile on their face and empty eyes filled the dream. _NO!

~o0o~

Anastasia woke with a start, panting and sweat pouring in rivulets down her skin. The room was darker than she remembered but she didn't take note of it.

"What the…" She broke off with a cry when she noticed the figure standing at her side.

"Anastasia, what is it?" Ciel questioned. For a moment she imagined that there was a sliver of worry threaded through his voice, but she realized that she must be imaging it. The fact that it was Ciel standing by her side didn't calm her down and she backed away hurriedly on the bed.

"Ci… el?" She questioned. Ciel reached out to rest his hand on hers, but she jerked back abruptly. A flash of what she thought was disappointment appeared on his face. Curling his hand back into his palm, he retracted his arm back to his side.

"My apologies," he said stiffly, "I heard my name, so I believed you needed me. My mistake." He turned around to leave, but Anastasia caught his wrist before he could.

"No, it's alright…" Anastasia said slowly with an ounce of hesitance in her voice, "I… I had another dream." Ciel looked at her with a confused expression and a small spark of concern that Anastasia knew he would deny later.

"What did you see?" Anastasia picked at her bedspread, avoiding the demon's gaze.

"Um," she started hesitantly, "It was about you and Sebastian… and, uh, you were at this mansion and you… told him to set it on fire?" Ciel raised an eyebrow at her graceless phrasing.

"Is that it?" He questioned. Anastasia was on the verge of saying _Yes, that's it, _but she continued.

"Uh, no… Ialsosawwhathappenedafterwardstothechildreninthefire," Anastasia said in a rush. Ciel's visible eye widened in shock, but he remained silent.

"…Ciel, did you actually do all that?" She couldn't imagine why. The demon remained silent for a moment before answering her question.

"Yes," he said quietly. He didn't offer any excuse or explanation and Anastasia was forced to come up with one on her own.

"…Why?" She questioned. Ciel looked at her with a sharp look.

"It was for a case," he said quietly. He explained the story to her, from going undercover at the circus, to having an asthma attack, to his murder of the circus string leaders.

"You had a hard life, didn't you?" Ciel chuckled humorlessly.

"What gave it away?" His response brought a slight smile to Anastasia's face.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Ciel said. A moment later, he let out a laugh and Anastasia looked at him in confusion. "I was just thinking," he said, "How ironic it is for you of all people to feel sympathy for me. I did kind of ruin your life."

"I'll admit that you did," Anastasia said, stretching out on her bed, "But it wasn't much of a life to begin with. You just made it more interesting. Besides, if you hadn't found me then someone else would've. I fully admit that I'd rather you find me than _Claude_." Her voice was scornful as she said the other demon's name. The demon had been laying low on both of their radar's and it was making Anastasia uneasy. Ciel gave his acknowledgment with an incline of his head.

"True," he said. They sat in comfortable silence for a minute before Anastasia struggled under the sheets and the heavy quilt to get out. Her feet slid to the floor and she stood up.

"Where are you going?" Ciel questioned. Anastasia rolled her eyes at him as she straightened out her clothes that were rumpled from having been slept in.

"I don't know about you, but I'm sick of sleep. I'm going to the library. Care to join me?" She tacked on the last sentence without thinking, a little hopeful that he'd take her up on her offer. Anastasia didn't really know why she was so hopeful, but the feeling filled her chest anyway. Ciel hesitated for a moment and Anastasia could feel the tips of her ears turned hot and red in embarrassment. _Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!_

"I mean, you don't have to, of course. I was just offering," Anastasia said hastily. A slight smile crossed Ciel's face.

"I'd love to." Anastasia's rant was cut off and the two talked together to the library in a comfortable silence.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey guys! Look I updated! btw please leave a review if you have any questions about this fic or anything that doesn't make sense because next chapter is going to be answering a lot of questions and honestly i forgot what i've written. So if there's anything in particular you want to know (like about Claude/plot/whatever), leave it in a review and I'll most likely put it in the next chapter**

Chapter 17

"Ciel, I'm going to visit Vivianna, catch up with you later," Anastasia called cheerfully into Ciel's study.

"What? You can't just-" Anastasia cut off Ciel's response when she shut his study door with a smile; humming to herself, she sashayed down the hall. Behind her, Ciel growled from the study and she heard the screech of his chair against the wood as he stood up abruptly. She bit back a mischievous smile as she heard the bang of the study door hitting the wall.

"Anastasia!" Ciel said dangerously calm, stalking down the hall after her, "You can't just _leave_ without telling me!" Anastasia whirled around.

"I did tell you," she said innocently with a sweet (fake) smile on her face, "Didn't you hear me?" Ciel glowered at her, a stormy expression on his face. Anastasia continued to blithely smile at him, secretly getting satisfaction by how much she was pissing him off.

"Well," Ciel said with a sickly sweet smile, "If you're going out to the city this afternoon, I may as well accompany you." It was Anastasia's turn to look shocked.

"No!" She exclaimed, "You can't just-" She bit back her retort when she saw the look on Ciel's face. "…You said you wouldn't accompany me, all I had to do was tell you if I was going out." Ciel merely smiled before brushing past her on his way to the foyer.

"I've altered our deal, pray I do not alter it further." Anastasia let Ciel past her, mainly out of shock because _did Ciel _really_ just make a Star Wars reference_?

"What the ever-loving hell?," Anastasia murmured under her breath. She knew Ciel heard her despite the low volume of her words because he chuckled at her.

_That little shit_, Anastasia thought as a stormy expression spread over her face. _When did he even watch Star Wars?_

"Are you coming or not?" Ciel questioned. Anastasia blinked and she realized that he was already at the end of the hallway- she had apparently stopped walking and had been standing stock-still for a few moments.

"Yes, I'm coming," she snapped, "I just have to get my bag." Ciel smirked and in a snap, he was holding it.

"Here," he said. Anastasia scowled at him and swiped her bag out of his hands.

"I hate you."

"I know."

~o0o~

The trip to London was filled with an awkward silence as Anastasia silently protested him being there by refusing to talk to him. She had also forced him to take a car instead of him just using his demon-speed or whatever the hell it was, because the last time he used it, she couldn't poop for a week. He didn't argue with her.

"I'm going to Vivianna's, you go do whatever demons do," Anastasia said, getting out of the car when they parked, "Make sure and not leave any evidence." She gave a short wave in goodbye before starting to walk off. Behind her, she heard Ciel snort.

"I don't think so," he said before linking their arms and walking next to her. She yanked her arm away and turned around to glare at him.

"Can't you just leave me alone? I'm just going to Vivianna's!" Anastasia protested vigorously. Ciel arched an eyebrow as her face got flushed with anger.

"Because you're a beacon for trouble," he said bluntly. Anastasia scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"As if," she said. Ciel gave her a look.

"Let's see," he said, "There's that time when I had to save you from a group of men who were harassing you, when Claude came into your store and threatened you- and let's not forget Vlad kidnapping your best friend, or how I and occasionally Sebastian managed to stalk you without you knowing-"

"Alright! I get it," Anastasia said, throwing her hands up in the air in frustration. _Ciel is more trouble than he's worth._ Her brow wrinkled as her brain caught on something he said. "Wait, I never asked you, how did you even know about Claude visiting me in the store?" Ciel gave a deep sigh that almost made her think that he wasn't going to answer.

"This shouldn't surprise you, but I had been keeping tabs on you in case you tried to run for it or if another demon showed up," Ciel said. Anastasia blinked at him.

"On a scale from one to ten- ten being _run away now because you're about to get murdered_\- that's like an eleven on the creeper scale," Anastasia said bluntly. Ciel sighed in exasperation, pinching the bridge of his nose like he had a headache.

"Are you regretting your decision to accompany me yet?" Anastasia asked cheekily.

"You have _no_ idea." Anastasia laughed.

They managed to walk the rest of the way to Vivianna's apartment without killing each other- or more accurately, Anastasia killing Ciel and dumping his body where nobody could find it.

Anastasia buzzed in to Vivianna's flat and she answered through intercom.

"Hello?" Viv asked, her voice crackly and distorted through the old intercom system that the owners never bothered to replace.

"Hi Viv, it's Anastasia, can I come up?" There was a pause before her joyful response.

"Of course!" She said before buzzing them in and the door unlocked with a click. The fact that she probably should have told Vivianna that Ciel was with her occurred to her when Viv opened the door and started yelling.

"What's that piece of shit bag doing with you?" Vivianna demanded. Anastasia bit her lip to muffle a laugh at Ciel's expense. "Oh God, is he forcing you to do something against your will?" Anastasia was too busy trying not to laugh to correct her friend as she turned on Ciel.

"And you!" Vivianna snarled to Ciel, "What the hell are you doing with my best friend? Everything was fine before you came along and then I get kidnapped and Ana sells her soul to you and there are friggin' demons everywhere!" Ciel didn't seem amused as her friend went on with pausing for breath.

"Viv!" Anastasia eventually interrupted, "It's alright. Ciel's with me for…" Shit, what was he here for besides annoying her? "… Protection." Sure, that works.

A wicked smirk curled Ciel's lips as he replied, "Actually, I just came to drop you off, I have business elsewhere." Anastasia's mouth dropped open as she stared at him incredulously.

"Are you kidding?" She sputtered, but Ciel was already halfway down the stairwell by the time she finished her sentence. When she turned around, Vivianna was standing in her doorway wearing a grin that immediately made Anastasia suspicious.

"What?" Anastasia questioned.

"Nothing, nothing," Vivianna said in a voice that said she obviously did not mean nothing, "Do you want to come in?"

"Fine," Anastasia grumbled, "And I didn't actually sell my soul you know…"

Vivianna's flat was messy- but in a creative way that was normal for art majors who were in their final year of university.

"Coffee or tea?" Vivianna asked after she wandered into the kitchen, which seemed to be the only place in the house that wasn't covered with art supplies.

"Tea please." Anastasia heard the clank of the kettle being put on the stove to heat up. Anastasia didn't have to wait long to see what it was that Vivianna wanted.

"So," Viv said, sitting down on the floor cross-legged. She patted the ground for Anastasia to sit next to her. "What's the deal with Demon Mcsatanpants?" Anastasia's eyebrows creased.

"What do you mean?" Anastasia questioned.

"Why don't you just scadoo the fuck out of there like right now?" Viv asked bluntly. "Is he holding you hostage or something?"

"Not really, but if I ran away he would just find me again. Besides, it's not that bad…" Anastasia said, trailing off. Vivianna arched a finely plucked eyebrow.

"Is there some Stockholm syndrome shit going on here?" Viv demanded.

Anastasia snored. "No- Ciel is an asshole. A hot one, but he's still a little shit who occasionally makes pop-culture references about things I'm ninety percent sure he hasn't actually seen."

"That was oddly specific."

"I've had a tough week."

"That's fair."

~o0o~

The rest of Anastasia's visit passed by in a whirl of sugar, tea (and maybe a little champagne that Viv hid in her cupboard), and laughter. After their initial discussion, the two of them relaxed into the easy motions of their friendship. Just when Anastasia was wondering if she was really going to have to take a cab back to the manor, there was a knock at the door.

"Coming!" Viv's voice cracked on the last syllable which caused Anastasia to break in uproarious laughter. Vivianna was giggling when she opened the door, to reveal Ciel.

"Are you ready to go?" Ciel questioned, "I would know if you ever actually _answered your phone_." Anastasia's forehead wrinkled and she pulled out her phone and glanced at the notification bubbles on her home screen; she had 20 new messages and 3 missed calls, all from Ciel.

"Whoops-si-do."

"Please turn your phone on," Ciel said. If she didn't know better, Anastasia could swear he was getting close to begging.

"Nope."

Vivianna snorted. "Good luck getting her to use her phone for anything other than music. I've tried before- it doesn't work." Ciel sighed and Anastasia started giggling uncontrollably.

"Is she drunk?" Ciel asked in disbelief. There was a drawn out pause.

"…Let's go with tipsy," Viv said dryly. Ciel looked like he was about to say something that he wouldn't regret later, but he knew Anastasia wouldn't like it if he alienated her only friend, so he snapped his mouth shut.

"Can you at least help her actually _stand up_?!" Ciel snapped.

Anastasia pouted. "I don't need any help!" She proved it by bouncing up and standing proudly with her hands on her hips. "See!" She stumbled and lost her balance, but Ciel caught her before she could hit the ground. Anastasia giggled. "Oops." Ciel let out an exasperated sigh and he glared at Vivianna as she struggled to hold in a laugh.

"Not one word," he warned and Vivianna nodded, stifling her snickers with her hand.

"Good luck," Vivianna said, amusement lacing her voice despite her attempts to disguise it. Before Ciel could respond, Vivianna had slammed the door and locked him out of her apartment.

"Why you little…" Ciel growled and trailed off. He let out an irritated sigh before hoisting Anastasia over his shoulder.

"Hey!" Anastasia protested, beating at his back with weak fists, "Let me go!"

Ciel snorted. "You can't walk on your own and I don't want to be responsible for your drunken self walking into the street and getting hit by a truck."

"You're mean," she complained. A few moments passed in silence. Anastasia squirmed in Ciel's grasp and tested his strength.

"If you don't stop struggling I will leave you here and you'll have to take a cab back," Ciel commented as they got into an elevator.

Anastasia scoffed. "Yeah, right. What about all the other friggin demons? Are you just gonna let 'em get me?" She kicked his leg as she struggled to get out of his arms.

"Anastasia, I swear…" Ciel sounded at the end of his rope. Anastasia would've enjoyed it if her mind hadn't been so fuzzy. Maybe she should've had less to drink…

"What are you gonna do?"

Anastasia let out a squeak as his hand struck her.

"…Did you just _spank _me?" Anastasia demanded, twisting in his arms to try to see his face. When it didn't work she gave up and settled back down onto his shoulder with a disgruntled 'humph'.

"Maybe," Ciel said and she could _hear_ his self-satisfied smile, "If you would stop moving then it wouldn't happen."

"Asshole."

Anastasia hung like that over his shoulder for a moment until she thought to return the favor. Her satisfaction waned when she realized he probably couldn't even feel it. _Damn demon._

"Did you just do what I think you did?"

"Yep," Anastasia answered stoutly, "Now put me down or I'll do it again."

Ciel laughed as the elevator let out a ding and they exited it. "I don't think so. I want to keep you from getting in any more trouble."

"Fight me."

"I did," Ciel answered. "And it didn't go well, if you remember."

Anastasia snorted. "That wasn't a fight, that was you losing your temper and chasing me up a fence." Anastasia's head was starting to feel a little less full of cotton, but she was sure that being upside down wasn't helping. "Can you put me down now? I feel a little better and your shoulder is digging into my ribs."

"Your comfort isn't very high on my list of priorities."

"Please?"

Ciel let out a long-suffering sigh before graciously allowing her to stand on her own.

Anastasia stumbled. "Whoa!" She caught hold of Ciel's arm before she fell, nausea passing over her like a cloud before dissipating. She thought she heard Ciel mutter, 'the things I have to deal with,' under his breath.

Ciel lead her through the cigarette-lined streets, allowing her to hang on to his arm as they walked through puddles and alleyways to get back to his car.

"Couldn't you just run us home?" Anastasia questioned, her voice slurring her words slightly.

"I don't really want to abandon the car," Ciel said dryly, "Besides, I think Sebastian would murder me; he cares more for the cars than our contract."

Anastasia snorted, "That'd be funny."

"What," Ciel questioned, "Me dying?"

Anastasia giggled. "Yep."

"You have a morbid sense of humor," Ciel commented.

"Says the demon."

As they walked, Anastasia noticed it was growing dark. _I must have spent longer at Viv's than I thought_. Late afternoon had turned into evening while Anastasia was holed up in Vivianna's apartment and she hadn't noticed. She was so distracted by her own thoughts that she didn't realize when a figure had appeared beside a lamppost. Luckily, Ciel did.

Ciel stopped abruptly and pulled Anastasia behind her, providing a physical shield between her and whatever was on the other side. Anastasia stumbled, confused, but she stayed where Ciel had put her.

"Claude," Ciel snarled. Anastasia's eyes widened, a jolt of adrenaline rushing through her veins and making her fingers start to tremble imperceptibly.

"Hello Ciel," Claude said in a calm, too smooth tone, "What a surprise to see you here, and with my dear little pet."

"I'm not _your_ pet, asshole," Anastasia growled, poking her head out from behind Ciel in an attempt to be intimidating, but failing miserably. Claude smiled in a creepy, vaguely pedophilic fashion that made her want to either hide or bash his head in with a wooden bat. Maybe both.

"Anastasia," Ciel hissed, "Be quiet." Anastasia shot a glare at him and moved out from behind his back to stand next to him. Or at least, she tried to. Before she could, Ciel's hand darted out and yanked her back by the wrist.

"Hey!" Anastasia protested, but quieted down when Ciel turned his head to give her a look- _Stay silent!_, it screamed.

"What do you want, Claude?" Ciel demanded, turning back to face his old enemy. _Or is he a friend? How exactly do they even know each other?_ Anastasia made a mental note to ask later, along with a few dozen other things she didn't know about Ciel.

"I need to borrow the psychic," he said, his calm and collected aura not disappearing even in the face of Ciel's anger, "More specifically, I need her powers for a day or two."

Ciel snorted. "And what exactly do you need her powers for?" He asked.

"That isn't of your concern," Claude said.

"I think you'll find it is, she's under my care," Ciel said, "It's a matter of pride, you understand." Claude's eyes narrowed.

"Then I suppose I'll just have to take her."

Anastasia froze from behind Ciel, her heart stuttering in her chest and eyes wide open. She lamented the fact that she couldn't see Claude from her position behind Ciel.

"That won't be necessary," Ciel interrupted. _What?!_ "Come by the manor tomorrow, say about noon? I'm sure we can work something out."

Anastasia's mouth dropped open and she barely resisted the urge to start hitting Ciel and try to escape. What the hell was he thinking? He couldn't just ditch her and leave her with Claude- there was no way in hell that could go anything other than badly. She was comforted by the fact that Ciel was probably bluffing and wasn't planning on giving her to Claude. _Or is he?_ He _is_ a demon, it's impossible to know for sure what he was thinking.

"Hmm… Fine. I will give you until noon tomorrow to prepare for my visit. But then, I _will _take the psychic. Make no mistake about that."

His tone made Anastasia shudder. _What does he want me for? _Then again, what did Ciel want her for? Questions that she hadn't wondered in a long time started flooding her brain and she was determined to finally get the answers- hopefully sooner rather than later.

She didn't hear any footsteps, but when Ciel let go of her wrist and she peeked her head around, Claude was gone without a trace of him to be seen in any direction

"Oh thank god," Anastasia said, letting out a sigh she didn't know she was holding.

Ciel snorted before answering, "I don't think you should be thanking God right now, you're still in danger and I only bought you a little over twelve hours." Anastasia looked at him, startled.

"You mean you're not going to stop him?" She asked, incredulous.

Ciel looked grim as he shook his head. "I don't think I can. No matter what we do, Claude is going to take you tomorrow at twelve. Now come, I need to talk to Sebastian."

**I kind of want to make Ciel &amp; Ana murder buddies TM **


	18. Chapter 18

**I updated! whoo! A lot of angst below so be warned. R&amp;R!**

Chapter 18

Getting in the car and riding back to the manor was an out-of-body experience. It felt too normal after just getting sold to the figurative devil. Instead of the thousand questions that Anastasia wanted to ask, her mind was blank. The humming of the engine was the only sound in what would've been the otherwise tense silence.

Ciel rushed off the moment they got to the manor, Anastasia assumed to go find his demon butler. She staggered behind, her mind losing the daze she had been in and growing more and more concerned for what lay ahead of her the next day. What was going to happen to her? Did Ciel have a plan? _Of course he does, _Anastasia scoffed mentally, _He's Ciel. He always has a plan. _The real question was if he would let her in on it. She would just have to make him.

Determined, Anastasia marched towards Ciel's study with her plan in mind. Anastasia had no intention of falling asleep that night, even if she wanted to her body felt too wired in the wake of the news about Claude. The impending threat of him stealing her away the next day loomed over her and chased away the idea of sleep. She was determined to help; however, Ciel had other ideas.

"No," Ciel said, sitting at his desk in the study, "You cannot help and that's final."

Anastasia narrowed her eyes at the put-together demon. "There's no way in hell I'm letting you and Sebastian decide my future, and not even be in the damned room!"

"There is nothing that you could possibly contribute to our plan."

"Are you kidding me?" Anastasia scoffed. "How do you know?"

Ciel sighed in frustration. "Because your only worth is that you're a psychic and your only line of defense is _throwing knives_!" Ciel never raised his voice and it somehow made his words sting more. Anastasia brushed away the hurt his words caused.

"They're useful!" She protested, crossing her arms.

"Really?" Ciel asked, raising an eyebrow, "So you don't just use them because you think they're 'cool'?"

Anastasia opened her mouth, snapped it shut, and then repeated a few times. "I have no idea what you're talking about." Ciel snorted. He opened his mouth to say something else before Anastasia interrupted him. "I should still have a part in whatever plot you guys are planning- it's my future!"

"Not everything is about you, Anastasia," Ciel said sharply, finally losing patience, "You have no idea what is going on; Claude is bigger than you and frankly I care a lot more about seeing him dead than you alive!"

That shut Anastasia up quickly.

"Fine," Anastasia said, locking her jaw. She turned around to leave the room, avoiding Ciel's gaze.

"Anastasia-" Ciel started.

"Whatever." Anastasia didn't stop the study door from slamming on her way out. She stalked down the hall without a destination in mind, blind to the halls and doors. All she wanted was to get away.

_That absolute dickhead- you would think after a few centuries he would have better manners. _Then again… Ciel did have a point. There was something bigger going on that she didn't know about. Hell, she didn't know about 90% of the things that had happened to her recently. All of the strange occurrences that should've given any normal person a heart attack had all started to blur together in her mind. _And I still didn't tell Ciel about the dreams…_

By the time Anastasia stopped walking, she was at the back door leading out to the gardens. Despite the fact that it was pitch black outside and a powerful (err, several) demon was after her, she unlocked the door and stepped outside. The fact that she may have still been a little tipsy escaped her mind.

_The flowers are beautiful_, Anastasia thought, _Sebastian really does a good job with them_. There were all kinds of flowers from what she could see in the darkness; Aquilegia, Nigella, Geraniums, foxglove. But what there was most of all were roses. Almost any color you could imagine, it was there. Anastasia walked down the garden path, looking at all the colors. There were red, yellow, pink, orange, and white. But at the end of the row, there was a well-trimmed, grand bush of blue roses. Anastasia's eyebrows furrowed as she bent down to look at them. _I thought there weren't such things as blue roses?_ From what she could remember from grade school biology, it was impossible for roses to have blue pigmentation. _Then again_, Anastasia thought, _Anything is possible when you have a demon as your gardener. _Standing up, Anastasia brushed a stray leaf off of her dress.

She still didn't really know what to think of Sebastian. She had infinitely more contact with Ciel, as Sebastian seemed to disappear whenever he wasn't needed. Come to think of it, Anastasia had never even seen Sebastian working or, you know, doing his work. _Does he just not do it?_ After a moment's consideration, Anastasia discounted the thought. There was no way the manor could look the way it did if Sebastian didn't do anything. He must be perfect if he get's everything done so efficiently.

_Well if he's so goddamn perfect, then the least he and Ciel can do is get you out of this mess with Claude; it's their faults after all_, a spiteful voice in her head said.

_Shut up! _She scolded, _They're doing the best they can. _

_Are they? Because all they've done so far is put you in more danger. I bet they're planning to give you to Claude the moment he gets here. _

The voice's spiteful words started to make sense to Anastasia, much to her horror. _They wouldn't do that! Ciel needs me._

_Really?_ The voice seemed to laugh. _For what? He hasn't made you do a goddamn thing since you came here. He's obviously planning to give you in Claude in exchange for him to leave them alone. _

Anastasia struggled to find a rebuttal. Her hands started to shake and it took her a minute to realize that they were clenched into fists.

…

_**He's a demon, remember. What, did you think he was your friend?**_

**. . . **

~o0o~

Anastasia came out of her daze in a pile of decapitated blue roses. Blood oozed down her arms from thorn scratches. Her stomach dropped as she looked down at the pile of roses that she had snapped the stems of. Anastasia became aware of a wetness on her cheeks and quickly wiped away the angry tears. Standing up, she staggered away from the evidence of her rage before running back to the manor. _Oh god, what have I done?_

She had never gone into a rage like that before… What was happening to her? She was just lucky there weren't people around to witness her breakdown.Hopefully she could just get to her room without running into anyone.

"Anastasia," Ciel called, "Get in here." Anastasia let a string of curses loose in her mind before coming to an abrupt halt in front of Ciel's study. _God is against me tonight. _

"Yes?" Anastasia asked cooly, slipping in through the unlocked door.

Ciel's visibly eye widened to comical proportions. "What the devil happened to you?" He looked at her disheveled appearance and multiple cuts with distaste.

"The bushes attacked me," Anastasia said dryly, flashing back to her episode. "By the way," she said, turning to Sebastian, who was standing next to the desk, "Some of your roses need to be replaced."

Sebastian opened his mouth to say something- most likely scathing- but Ciel interrupted.

"It doesn't matter," he said, "Anastasia, we can't stop Claude from taking you without a fight that we don't want to have."

Anastasia's heart sank in her chest. The vicious little voice in the back of her mind had been right, they weren't going to help her. _They're not my friends. _

"But-" the little word gave her hope "-if you're not back here in two days we're going to get you out. We have an inside man who will come and get you."

"Oh," Anastasia said. The lead weight in her chest rose a little, but only barely.

"You're going to go with Claude when he comes, and you're going to do whatever he tells you to if you want to live. We don't know how long you're going to be gone, but until you're back here, do everything he says," Ciel ordered.

A little spark of anger rose in Anastasia's chest until a flood of questions came out.

"But why do I even have to go with him, you have you _and _Sebastian, can't you stop him? I can't even tell whether he's with you or against you! You just expect me to go along with this plan when I don't know what's going to happen to me, or what Claude's going to do to me. And it's not like you even care! What's stopping me from ditching this place right now? And who the hell is Claude anyway?! I would know if anybody in this goddamn manor would ever tell me anything!" Anastasia ignored how her eyes started to get shiny or how intense the ache in her chest felt. _I want Vivianna…_

"Anastasia I don't have time to coddle you," Ciel snapped, "This is our biggest chance in a very long time to take down Claude and I'm not giving it up." Anastasia glared at him in his one visible eye. Ciel stared coldly back, unbothered by her anger. Ciel broke eye contact first, sighing deeply and resting his head on his hand. "We have a plan to get you out, that's the best I can do. Just go get some sleep, you'll need it."

"No thanks to you, bastard." Anastasia left before Ciel could say anything else. She stalked down the halls to her room and ripped her clothes off before getting in bed.

Anastasia tossed and turned for what felt like hours; until the molten rage that filled her body turned to stone and left a bad taste in her mouth. Her actions (and words) that night hadn't been good, but she couldn't bring herself to regret them. All she knew is that the ache inside her chest had intensified a hundredfold.

"Can't sleep?"

Anastasia jerked to a sitting position, startled, before she realized it was just Ciel.

"Oh, it's just you," she said, lying back down and turning away.

"I have something to help you sleep if you want them," Ciel said, coming to stand nearer her bed, "They might help you." Anastasia turned to face him. As much as she didn't want to take anything from Ciel, she didn't know if she could stand to be awake with her thoughts for much longer.

"At least you're good for something," she said, ignoring the stinging bite that her words held. She took the two pills and glass of water that Ciel held and downed them. Anastasia didn't know what they were, but she didn't care.

"Claude is coming at twelve exactly, so be ready," Ciel ordered. Anastasia felt her stone turning red hot with rage again.

"I hate you," Anastasia said.

"I know."

It was only after Ciel left the room that Anastasia recognized the ache in her chest as loneliness.

~~~~0o0~~~~~~

**I'm sorry for the long waits in between chapters! I get distracted easily. But I have a bunch of ideas for future chapters so hopefully it won't be too terrible (ha). I know that's a lot of angst but I feel like Anastasia needed to have a meltdown just to let it all out. Lemme know if it was realistic down in the reviews! **


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